Poll shows Crist in lead

A new poll says most Florida voters favor a referendum on a constitutional ban on oil drilling in near-shore water, a week after the state Legislature refused to consider such a vote.

But in the Quinnipiac University poll released Friday, a plurality of respondents also accepted the argument that the amendment might not be necessary because state law now bans near-shore drilling.

The poll also showed Gov. Charlie Crist continuing to lead the U.S. Senate race as a no-party candidate, with Republican Marco Rubio close on his heels.

Like other recent polls, it indicates that support from Democratic voters, who aren't committed to either of the major Democratic candidates in the race, form a large segment of Crist's support.

The poll also shows a near-tie in the state's increasingly turbulent governor's race, with either of the two leading Republicans, Bill McCollum or Rick Scott, barely edging out Democrat Alex Sink - but with leads less than the poll's error margin.

Other recent polls have shown Sink leading by similarly narrow margins.

Crist called the state Legislature into special session last week to consider whether to put an amendment on the November ballot permanently banning drilling within 10 miles of the Florida coast.

But Republican legislative leaders, bitterly angry with Crist since he left to run for the Senate as a no-party candidate, refused even to consider the issue. They adjourned the session within two hours after it convened.

Republican leaders accused Crist of pulling a "political stunt" by calling the session, saying the amendment is unnecessary and that Crist was pandering to public concern over the BP oil spill.

Backers of the idea, however, say the law could easily be reversed.

The state House last year voted to reverse the statutory ban, although the Senate balked at the idea.

Backers also note that shortly before the BP spill, at the request of incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, the state House spent $200,000 on a study saying offshore drilling was safe and damaging spills unlikely.

Neither Cannon nor state Sen. Mike Haridopolos, incoming state Senate president, could be reached for comment on the poll.

Following the spill, however, both have promised they will not allow any change in the law while they are in control of their legislative houses.

In the poll, 62 percent of the respondents said they favored such an amendment, with 34 percent opposed; and 72 percent said they favored allowing the people to vote on an amendment.

When told that state law now bans drilling, and asked whether they agree that the amendment is therefore unnecessary, 48 percent agreed and 39 percent disagreed.

Other numbers from the poll: