Gov. Crist will call special session on oil drilling

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/article1094132.ece


Gov. Charlie Crist's announcement Tuesday that he would call a special legislative session this month to ask voters to ban oil drilling off Florida's coast and revive renewable energy legislation immediately sparked an angry clash between the independent Crist and his former Republican colleagues.

Crist said that because of the Gulf oil disaster, "it's appropriate for the people of Florida'' to have a chance to vote on a constitutional amendment to ban oil drilling in Florida waters — between the beach and 10.6 miles offshore. He also wants to use the session to revive incentives for renewable energy legislation.

"I want to talk about wind, nuclear, solar, natural gas and other alternative means to provide energy to our people,'' Crist said, adding that he wasn't sure if he or legislative leaders would formally call the session.

But the governor's suggestion of bringing lawmakers back to Tallahassee the week of May 24 without a consensus on the energy issues sparked harsh rebukes from House and Senate leaders.

-snip-

Whether Crist can build consensus on any of these issues amid the new political dynamics in Florida's capital is still unknown. Since he first angered lawmakers by vetoing a teacher merit pay bill supported by most GOP lawmakers, and then severed ties with the Republican Party and announced he would seek election to the U.S. Senate without party affiliation, the relationship between the governor and Republican legislative leaders has become bitter and divisive.

Crist can issue a proclamation calling the Legislature into special session but, once convened, they don't have to pass anything. They could even call themselves back into session and send Crist more Republican-backed legislation that he would oppose as he attempts to appeal to the state's moderate and independent voters.

The politics of offshore drilling were on full display Tuesday at a Cabinet meeting. The two Cabinet members who hope to succeed Crist in the governor's office echoed Crist's call for a special session to consider a ban on offshore drilling.
-snip-
--------------------------


wishing him good luck

has offshor drilling in it...I'm embarrassed beyond words.