Refuge vote threatens Florida

FLORIDA – Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fl., is putting up a commendable fight to protect Florida’s beaches from offshore drilling.

Nonetheless, he’s being outgunned by Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., the powerful chairman of the Senate Energy Committee.

Despite strong objections from Martinez and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fl., Domenici succeeded recently in pushing a bill through his committee to bring offshore drilling rigs within 100 miles of Florida’s coast.

So it’s more than a little puzzling that Martinez continues to support one of Domenici’s top legislative priorities — opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. In fact, Martinez recently cast a decisive vote on a Senate budget resolution in favor of drilling in the refuge.

Sun-Sentinel