States Look At Oil Spill Laws, But Florida’s Future Murky

July 12, 2010

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 clean up plans, recovery for damages and moratoria on offshore drilling. But really, it’s anyone’s best guest what will happen when the Florida House and Senate return to Tallahassee July 20.

Gov. Charlie Crist Thursday suddenly announced 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 governor’s 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 three miles off the coast of Florida,” Crist said.

By Kathleen Haughney
The News Service Florida

Comments

3 Responses to “States Look At Oil Spill Laws, But Florida’s Future Murky”

  1. art on July 13th, 2010 2:06 pm

    horiffic: americans have done hard things before. we have a history of independent thinking and if anyone in the world can do it, we can. we must. our lives won’t become impossible without petrochemical products. i know it isn’t what they want us to think; the petrochemical companies have been spending big bucks on propaganda since the forties, but the situation in the gulf is a big wake up call for americans. there are better ways, unexplored ways for us to have energy. there are safer ways for us to live than by using petrochemicals to create everything we use. our children’s and grandchildren’s future on a clean sustainable earth is worth fighting for, worth sacrificing for. i don’t buy into the rhetoric that americans are “sheeple”. my hope is we get off our oil addiction much sooner than later.

  2. horrific on July 13th, 2010 11:43 am

    That’s excellent advice art!

    Think anyone will take it?

    NAWWW!

    :(

  3. art on July 12th, 2010 9:02 am

    the republicans accuse the dems of posturing for political gain and wasting money. the democrats accuse the repubs of being nit-picky and negative. lets face it folks, the majority of politicians stopped listening to us a long time ago. the only thing big corporations understand is money, which we the people can use to our advantage. take a good hard look at everything around you. what can i recycle? what can i reuse? look long and hard at what you purchase. is it a petrochemical product? do without it. look to buy glass or wood or something natural before you give one more cent to the big oil companies. car pool. use public transportation. there are loads of things we can do, simple everyday things, to wean ourselves off cheap oil. it takes a mind set and it will be hard, but it isnt impossible. we are americans for gods sake. we can do this.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News