Gavel N’ Go
July 16th, 2010 by flanewsFlorida Lawmakers are set to go to Tallahassee next Tuesday. The Governor wants the legislator to let voters decide if the state should ban near shore oil drilling. The call has turned into all out political warfare between the Governor and Republican Legislative leaders who, as Mike Vasilinda tells us, are threatening to come to town, do nothing and immediately go home.
It is being called Gavel and Go. Republican legislative leaders blasting the governor’s call for a drilling ban and threatening to do nothing now, but come back in late August and work on jobs and lowering taxes for those affected by the oil. The Florida Chamber says banning something already prohibited by law is a waste of time and money.
“Even if the legislature were to put this constitutional amendment on the ballot it would do nothing to protect Florida’s beaches,” said Dave Hart, with the Florida Chamber.
A key date in the debate is August 4th…that’s the deadline to put something on Novembers Ballot. The Florida Wildlife Federation says gavel and Go shouldn’t be an option.
“The legislature needs to act this week, or at least prior to August 4th and put this on the ballot and legislature I’m very hopeful will see this as a leadership opportunity,” said Preston Robertson.
Political Strategists say doing nothing could hurt both lawmakers and the governor.
“There’s real issues that the governor should be addressing right now. You’ve got people who are being displaced. You could initiate some jobs initiatives,” said Steve Vancore.
In this game of political one up man ship, the Governor could thwart Gavel and go…buy expanding the session from just a drilling ban to include all the things GOP leaders want to do after the August 4th deadline.
The games begin Tuesday, costing you 50 thousand dollars a day. Part of the motivation behind keeping a drilling ban off the November ballot is the issue’s ability to attract people to the polls… the fear is once they’re there voting on a drilling ban… they may be more likely to vote for Charlie Crist, the man pushing the ban instead of Marco Rubio… the Republican nominee.
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