Lawmakers make quick exit

Saying, “ ... we agree that there is nothing we can do this week to improve the situation more than we could in September,” Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul and the state representatives completed their special session business in 49 minutes Tuesday. The vote was 67-44.

The Florida Senate followed suit later that afternoon when a motion to adjourn passed 18-16. Both bodies rejected Gov. Charlie Crist's call to place a referendum on the November ballot to permanently ban offshore drilling in Florida waters. Action was required by Aug. 4 to meet legal deadlines to place it on the ballot.

Later Tuesday afternoon, the Senate Select Committee on Florida's Economy met to discuss the economic impact of the BP oil spill and other environmental and legal issues. A special session is expected for September on those topics.