Special session cost taxpayers an estimated 55-thousand dollars

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - They loaded onto planes, rented hotel rooms, and ate out on your dime; just to come to Tallahassee for a two hour special session.

The state legislature was supposed to stay for four days, discuss a ban on offshore oil drilling and vote on putting the issue in front of voters in November. Instead they griped.

This is a waste of taxpayers money, and every minute we stay here, the longer I talk, we waste more of it," said Republican State Representative Rob Schenck of Spring Creek.

The actual cost of the legislative fiasco won't be known for weeks, but early estimates suggest lawmakers spent 55-thousand dollars, to gavel in, ignore the issue, and go home.

Most lawmakers traveled all that distance and spent all that money and didn't even speak on the floor. They just kept their seat warm and pushed a button.

So who's to blame? The legislature blames the governor for calling them back against their wishes.

Republican State Senator Haridopolos was asked: Do you think it was a waste of money?

"Absolutely," he answered. "I think it's a waste of money. We let the governor know we had no interest in banning something that's already banned."

The governor blames the legislature. He was asked what the taxpayers got for their 55-thousand dollars.

"Well they almost got the chance to vote, but because of the legislature they didn't," Governor Crist said.

But whoever's at fault is irrelevant when the bill comes do, because the guilty party isn't paying, taxpayers are.

The 55-thousand dollars cost is only an estimate calculated from past special sessions. House staff thinks the brevity of this session may have lowered the cost below previous averages.