"The president of Florida’s Senate showed this week that deliberation and due diligence are still valued by some leaders of state government.

Jeff Atwater, a Republican from Palm Beach County, e-mailed senators on Thursday, advising that two proposals — one by the governor; another by leaders in the state House of Representatives — are too important to be rushed through the Legislature.

Good for Atwater, good for Florida.

Atwater announced that a special session of the Legislature is “highly unlikely” to occur next month, even though Gov. Charlie Crist wanted the House and Senate to approve a proposed compact on gambling.

Crist recently announced that he’d struck a deal with the Seminole Tribe that would dramatically expand gambling on tribal lands in Florida.

“An initial review has raised questions regarding some of the terms of the compact,” Atwater’s e-mail stated.

That was a mild way of saying that Crist significantly deviated from the parameters given to him in a bill passed by the Legislature. The compact would authorize a much broader expansion of gambling operations run by the Seminoles — allowing them to install Vegas-style slot machines and effectively give them a monopoly on games such as blackjack, in which players bet against the casino house."

Get the Story:
Editorial: No reason to rush legislation (The Sarasota Herald Tribune 9/12)

More Opinions:
Howard Troxler: Florida Senate's delay on drilling, Seminole gambling pact is a good idea (The St. Petersburg Times 9/13)
Editorial: Don't look now (The Gainesville Sun 9/12)