LA Weekly

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Senator Mel Martinez of Florida voted not to remove the ANWR drilling provision from the budget only after he made Bush and Gale Norton promise not to lift the moratorium on drilling on Florida's west coast.

Martinez was under pressure from home state environmentalists to oppose opening ANWR on the grounds that it would set a precedent that could be used against Florida. "No Florida senator should side with the drillers," said a Miami Herald editorial on Wednesday.

Here's Martinez in the Miami Herald, before the vote:

'''Sen. Martinez is looking for proper assurances from the administration that the Florida coasts are strongly protected and that drilling in [Alaska] will not result in a slippery slope in Florida,' said Kerry Feehery, a spokeswoman for Martinez."

And after:

'''Before I made my final decision on [the] Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, I wanted to be confident that my vote would strengthen -- not weaken -- Florida's moratorium on offshore drilling,'' Martinez said in a statement. 'I know that a "slippery slope" is of great concern to all Floridians.'"

Florida's Senator Bill Nelson voted to protect the refuge.

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