Local politicians weigh in on drilling

@BR Boxtext bold lede colon:State Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton: “Offshore drilling? I oppose it. Although there are ebbs and flows from a public perspective, there are better ways to address it than to put at risk our coastline.”

State House Speaker Pro Tempore Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton: “We were talking three miles off the coast — I think that’s what we actually passed last year in the House, and I voted for it because I got my arm twisted. I think three miles is way too close. Why? Because the obvious reason is the potential for spillage, the potential for messing up our beaches, the potential for the environment. But guess what, I talked to people in Louisiana, and they love to fish off of oil rigs, they said the fishing is good, so maybe it’s not so bad after all.”

State Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota: “Sen. Atwater is running for statewide office; he’s the president of the Senate now, he said, ‘I’m not going to be doing oil drilling this time,’ so we won’t see it pass. And I think this is a good thing, personally...”

State Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton: “Drilling? I don’t think we’ll hear it this year in the Senate.”

— Herald staff reports