67 Representatives Stand Against Florida Voters, With Big Oil

67 Representatives Stand Against Florida Voters, With Big Oil

This afternoon, the Florida Legislature convened in a special session called by Governor Charlie Crist to consider the passage of a joint resolution that would have allowed voters to revise the Florida Constitution to prevent the exploration, drilling, extraction and production of oil in our coastal waters. 

Background: After receiving hundreds of hand written letters and phone calls from our supporters and supporters of our coalition with Crude Awakening and other Florida organizations, Governor Crist officially called a special session on behalf of the citizens of the state, intended to last 4 days in order to allow debate on the issue of near beach drilling.

Our official opinion is that Governor Crist called this session on behalf of Florida voters. After all, the overwhelming public outcry we have generated (and that has generated itself in light of the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf) was what prompted the special session.

We feel that the Florida Legislature wasted taxpayer time, money, and effort on political grandstanding, making the issue about the governor when it was really about the voters' right to decide what is best for us and our beaches. Their attempt to punish the governor for internal partisan issues took precedence over their duty to represent the will of their constituents. Because of them, Big Oil has claimed yet another victory in the state of Florida.

One of the "Representatives" who voted against the citizens of Florida is incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon of Winter Park, who claimed they were trying to protect the Florida Constitution from being amended by Governor Crist, who left the Republican Party to run for the U.S. Senate as an independent.

In reality, the amendment would have protected Florida from Representative Cannon.

In 2009, Cannon helped pass a bill through the House overturning the state law that bans drilling in state waters. Fortunately, the bill was stopped by the Senate, which was more considerate of the potential damage to the state's $65 billion tourism economy from offshore drilling. Without a Constitutional ban on near beach drilling, Representatives like Cannon will continue to introduce bills like this until they ultimately win.

We have compiled here a list of each Florida Representative that voted to kill the special session, and to deny the citizens of Florida a voice on the issue of near beach drilling this November. We ask that our supporters call, write and email them to express your disgust for their actions today. More importantly, we are asking that you all do everything in your power to help vote these men and women who stood against the people of Florida out of office.

	Adams, Sandra "Sandy"	R	33	Parts of Orange, Seminole, Volusia
	Adkins, Janet H.	R	12	Baker, Nassau, Union and parts of Bradford, Clay, Duval
	Aubuchon, Gary	R	74	Parts of Charlotte, Lee
	Bembry, Leonard L.	D	10	Hamilton, Madison, Taylor and parts of Alachua, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Jefferson, Levy, Wakulla
	Bogdanoff, Ellyn Setnor	R	91	Parts of Broward, Palm Beach
	Bovo, Jr., Esteban L.	R	110	Part of Miami-Dade
	Burgin, Rachel V.	R	56	Part of Hillsborough
	Cannon, Dean	R	35	Part of Orange
	Coley, Marti	R	7	Calhoun, Liberty and parts of Bay, Gadsden, Jackson, Leon, Okaloosa, Wakulla, Walton
	Cretul, Larry	R	22	Parts of Alachua, Levy, Marion
	Crisafulli, Steve	R	32	Parts of Brevard, Orange
	Culp, Faye B.	R	57	Part of Hillsborough
	Domino, Carl J.	R	83	Part of Palm Beach
	Dorworth, Chris	R	34	Parts of Orange, Seminole
	Drake, Brad	R	5	Holmes, Washington and parts of Jackson, Okaloosa, Walton
	Eisnaugle, Eric	R	40	Part of Orange
	Evers, Greg	R	1	Parts of Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa
	Ford, Clay	R	3	Parts of Escambia, Santa Rosa
	Fresen, Erik	R	111	Part of Miami-Dade
	Frishe, James C. "Jim"	R	54	Part of Pinellas
	Gaetz, Matt	R	4	Parts of Okaloosa, Santa Rosa
	Galvano, Bill	R	68	Parts of Hillsborough, Manatee
	Glorioso, Richard "Rich"	R	62	Parts of Hillsborough, Pasco
	Gonzalez, Eduardo "Eddy"	R	102	Parts of Broward, Miami-Dade
	Grady, Tom	R	76	Part of Collier
	Grimsley, Denise	R	77	Glades, Hendry and parts of Collier, Highlands
	Hasner, Adam	R	87	Part of Broward, Palm Beach
	Hays, D. Alan	R	25	Parts of Lake, Seminole, Volusia
	Holder, Doug	R	70	Part of Sarasota
	Hooper, Ed	R	50	Part of Pinellas
	Horner, Mike	R	79	Parts of Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Polk
	Hudson, Matt	R	101	Parts of Broward, Collier
	Hukill, Dorothy L.	R	28	Part of Volusia
	Kelly, Kurt	R	24	Part of Marion
	Kreegel, Paige	R	72	DeSoto and parts of Charlotte, Lee
	Legg, John	R	46	Part of Pasco
	Lopez-Cantera, Carlos	R	113	Part of Miami-Dade
	Mayfield, Debbie	R	80	Parts of Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie
	McBurney, Charles	R	16	Part of Duval
	McKeel, Seth	R	63	Parts of Hillsborough, Polk
	Murzin, Dave	R	2	Part of Escambia
	Nehr, Peter	R	48	Parts of Pasco, Pinellas
	O'Toole, H. Marlene	R	42	Parts of Lake, Marion, Sumter
	Patronis, Jimmy	R	6	Gulf and parts of Bay, Franklin
	Patterson, Pat	R	26	Parts of Flagler, Volusia
	Plakon, Scott	R	37	Parts of Orange, Seminole
	Poppell, Ralph	R	29	Parts of Brevard, Indian River
	Precourt, Stephen L.	R	41	Parts of Lake, Orange, Osceola
	Proctor, William L. "Bill"	R	20	Parts of Clay, Flagler, St. Johns
	Ray, Lake	R	17	Part of Duval
	Reagan, Ron	R	67	Parts of Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota
	Renuart, Ronald "Doc"	R	18	Parts of Duval, St. Johns
	Rivera, David	R	112	Parts of Broward, Collier, Miami-Dade
	Roberson, Kenneth L. "Ken"	R	71	Parts of Charlotte, Lee, Sarasota
	Schenck, Robert C. "Rob"	R	44	Parts of Hernando, Pasco, Sumter
	Schultz, Ron	R	43	Citrus and parts of Hernando, Levy
	Snyder, William D.	R	82	Parts of Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie
	Stargel, Kelli	R	64	Part of Polk
	Thompson, Nicholas R. "Nick"	R	73	Part of Lee
	Tobia, John	R	31	Part of Brevard
	Troutman, Baxter G.	R	66	Hardee and parts of Highlands, Polk
	Van Zant, Charles E.	R	21	Putnam and parts of Bradford, Clay, Lake, Marion, Volusia
	Weatherford, Will W.	R	61	Parts of Hillsborough, Pasco
	Weinstein, Michael B. "Mike"	R	19	Parts of Clay, Duval, St. Johns
	Williams, Trudi K.	R	75	Parts of Collier, Lee
	Wood, John	R	65	Part of Polk
	Workman, Ritch	R	30	Part of Brevard