Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist and former CFO Alex Sink returned to the state capitol on Wednesday, joining state lawmakers, environmental interest groups and others in promoting a constitutional ban on beachfront oil exploration and drilling in Florida.
While legislation is being sponsored by Rep. Rick Krisenman (D-Petersburg) to prohibit beachfront oil exploration and drilling in the state’s territorial waters, Crist and Sink are leading a petition effort to allow the public to vote on near-shore oil drilling in 2012.
Florida Wildlife Federation, numerous environmental groups and a bipartisan group of Florida leaders, including former state Senator Durrell Peaden, a Republican, along with State Representative Darren Soto (D-Orlando) and House Minority Leader Pro Tempore Joseph Gibbons (D-Hallandale Beach), turned out today, in support of the petition effort.
“Many Floridians call this great state our home because of our magnificent beaches and beautiful coastal waters,” Crist said. “As a result, we have a responsibility to protect Florida for future generations. As your governor, I fought to protect the Everglades, promote renewable resources and maintain sound growth management policies, and we need to continue the fight to preserve Florida with this amendment.”
Sink said there was little hope the new, more conservative Legislature in Tallahassee would put the amendment on the ballot, reports the News Service of Florida.
“We’re in Tallahassee, it’s the land of special interests,” Sink said. “It’s time for the people of Florida to stand up and say we don’t have to worry about the Legislature, we’ll go straight to the amendment process.”
Opponents of the constitutional ban on offshore drilling have said now is not the time to remove the flexibility from the state, in view of its perilous finances and 12 percent jobless rate.
Gov. Rick Scott has said he could support offshore drilling if the proper safeguards are put in place.
Outside of passage by the Legislature, some 700,000 petition signatures would be needed to place the offshore drilling ban amendment on the 2012 ballot.
Meanwhile, Rep. Gibbons said several events will take place in upcoming weeks to promote the petition effort. He called on supporters to visit www.saveourfloridabeaches.net to gain more information about the petition. “Drilling near our coast is not the answer to our energy challenges,” Gibbons said.
