Florida House quickly adjourns special session without voting on offshore drilling ban

Fla. House adjourns oil drilling session, no vote

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Republican-controlled Florida House abruptly ended a special session after 43 minutes without voting on Gov. Charlie Crist’s proposed constitutional amendment to ban offshore drilling in state waters.

Republicans said Tuesday that the state already bans drilling and that the amendment did nothing economically to help those impacted by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Crist, who quit the GOP to run for U.S. Senate as an independent, called lawmakers into special session in a bid to put the drilling ban on the November ballot.

Key West Rep. Ron Saunders, who is slated to become the House Democratic leader, said Republicans thought putting the issue on the ballot would increase voter turnout against Republicans in November.