About That Special Legislative Session

When the Legislature adjourned at the end of April, there was already talk of a special session and there was no shortage of reasons.

By then, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico had already blown. Now the repercussions have reached Tallahassee.

The Governor last week called for a special session to obtain a proposal to make a ban on drilling for oil in state waters part of the state Constitution. A constitutional amendment had to be approved soon to get on the November ballot, so he has called the session for a narrow purpose.

But some lawmakers, other politicians and the renewable-energy industry have different ideas. They want the session to include debates on alternative sources of electricity and proposals to strengthen the ability of the attorney general to prosecute environmental crimes. Others are still pushing for tax relief or other aid along the Gulf.

"The special session should also tackle the urgent needs for our business owners and state, including much-needed small business relief, a more streamlined claims process, and the creation of an environmental endowment for additional research," CFO Alex Sink said.

Any proposals beyond the governor's call require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate to even be introduced.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-07-09/story/special-session-drilling-could-tackle-other-issues