Pols critical of extra session
7/19/2010

TALLAHASSEE - The agenda for the upcoming special legislative session is simple, but the politics of it is complex.

Gov. Charlie Crist wants to share the November ballot with a constitutional amendment forbidding offshore oil drilling in Florida waters. He called the session for that purpose alone.

On Thursday, Senate President Jeff Atwater and House Speaker Larry Cretul telegraphed their intentions. They'll give the July 20-23 special session called by Crist short attention and focus on a September special session.

"Rushing to amend the Constitution at the last possible moment because of an accident hundreds of miles from our jurisdiction does not typify deliberation and responsible legislation," Cretul wrote.

Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and Cretul, R-Ocala, will call a September session to consider economic relief for areas hit by oil.

Sen. Don Gaetz, a Niceville Republican, has led a Senate group considering responses. Atwater on Thursday proposed a joint House-Senate committee to deliver recommendations within 30 days.

"The governor has been very dismissive of the economic situation, said it's not time-sensitive," Gaetz said. "I guess the only thing time-sensitive to him is getting something on the ballot that will help him win the U.S. Senate seat."

Besides the universal outrage over the Deepwater Horizon disaster, some lawmakers want to hit another hot-button issue - illegal immigration - and there are 20 Crist vetoes from the spring session they can throw back at him.

But Cretul on Thursday told members "you can expect your stay to be very short next week." He and Atwater are unlikely to brook other issues during a special session with a roughly $40,000-a-day meter running.

Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, and Gaetz, who heads a special Senate committee on the economy, said there is no need to amend the state's constitution. They said drilling is already banned by statute and Haridopolos said both he and Gaetz, in line to succeed him as Senate president, won't change that in the next four years.

"There's no risk that there'll be drilling in the Gulf anytime soon," Haridopolos said. "We want to focus on solutions and a solution is not banning something that's already been banned."

A legislative resolution must pass by Aug. 4 to be printed in time for absentee ballots. It requires three-fifths majorities - 24 votes in the Senate and 72 in the House - and Haridopolos said the vote looks close.

"In general, I'm not in favor of the special session to begin with," said Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples. "I think it's a horrendous waste of money."

Hudson said "we'd eat up an awful lot of time" debating the vetoes or copying Arizona's immigration statute. Overriding a veto or taking up anything not in the call of the session - which is limited to a constitutional ban on oil drilling - requires a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate, which Hudson said is politically out of reach.

Sen. Dan Gelber said the "drill, baby, drill" mantra of 2008-09 could make a comeback.

"When Big Oil is ashamed to show their faces, this is the time to do it," said Gelber, a Miami Beach Democrat running for attorney general. "Nobody should trust the Legislature to show the resilience against such a powerful special interest as big oil ever again."

Cretul wrote to Atwater Thursday, saying both chambers will study the nature of damages, federal and private responses and possible state remedies for the crisis.

"I assure you that the House is also actively exploring the nature of the injuries, the nature of the federal and private responses, and all suggestions for state response that may require legislation," Cretul wrote.

Source: The News-Press