Florida lawmakers are set to arrive in Tallahassee later this month to address issues related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that has sent oil toward Florida beaches, but lawmakers in other states have already beaten them to the punch.
Louisiana, North Carolina, New Jersey and South Carolina have all introduced bills relating to oil spill cleanup plans, recovery for damages and moratoria on offshore drilling. But really, it's anyone's best guess what will happen when the Florida House and Senate return to Tallahassee July 20.
Gov. Charlie Crist suddenly announced Thursday a special session set for later this month where lawmakers would be asked to consider a constitutional ban on offshore oil drilling. They would look at that issue, and only that, said Crist. But some Republican legislators aren't particularly thrilled about the session.
The general message from lawmakers thus far has been that there's no need to look at a constitutional amendment because Florida already bans offshore oil drilling in state waters. If there's going to be a session, many said, it needs to include other issues.
If the governor is really committed to recovery efforts in the Gulf of Mexico, as his press office said, he had better have a host of substantial proposals for us to consider while he spends the taxpayers money calling a four-day special session in Tallahassee, said Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos, R-Melbourne.
Senate President and candidate for chief financial officer Jeff Atwater said last month that he would favor a special session to examine the economic impact of the spill as many Panhandle businesses were struggling, particularly in the badly damaged tourism and seafood industries. A committee appointed by Atwater is slated to meet Monday in Pensacola to discuss those issues.
Atwater released a memo in response to the governor's announcement saying he wanted the committee to work on a number of issues including the enhancement of the claims process, economic recovery zones, suspension of impediments to local crisis response, tax mitigation and future litigation.
Unfortunately, while the governors call for a special session does not address the substantive concerns of the citizens of the Gulf (region), it does afford us the opportunity to carefully develop and effectuate the kind of meaningful and long-lasting reforms that the situation and the people affected deserve, Atwater said. Given the costs and disruption of a special session, legislative action should be based on solid data and empirical analysis, rather than political contrivance. Thus, I believe it is important for us to consider including additional, ameliorative measures into our agenda, and go beyond the simple expedient of merely confirming what is already in law.
House Speaker Larry Cretul released a memo to members simply saying he was out on the coast examining the impact of the spill and would consider Crist's proposal when he returned to Tallahassee.
In fact, about the only positive response to the session came from Democrats, several of whom praised the governor for calling it, though they too want more issues added to the call.
Crist also slapped down opposition to his plan when he announced the special session. "I know it's barred statutorily, l but I also know that just last year they tried to change that statute and drill holes 3 miles off the coast of Florida," Crist said.
