Bipartisan press event in Tallahassee calls for ban on near shore drilling

"We are all Floridians, no matter which party we happen to be in," Representative Soto said. "We must ensure that what makes Florida so attractive to visitors and new Floridians is preserved and that our economy and environment are not placed in jeopardy."

Representative Kriseman has proposed a Joint Resolution, HJR 383, which would allow the public to vote on whether or not the drilling should be allowed. The resolution is co-sponsored by Representative Soto and must first be approved by both the Florida House and Senate.

"The BP Deepwater Horizon disaster devastated the economy of the Panhandle, and it did not even reach Florida beaches in any great quantity," said Save our Seas, Beaches and Shores, Inc. Chairmain Manley K. Fuller. "Imagine if that spill had been right on our coast."

A petition has been made available by Save our Seas, Beaches and Shores and is available at www.sosbs.org. The petition can be downloaded, filled out and signed, and mailed in. Only registered Florida voters may sign this petition.