Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul issued a ringing statement Tuesday, accusing Gov. Charlie Crist of unnecessarily wasting taxpayers' money, playing political games and distracting state leaders from solving the state's real problems right now.

"Current state and federal law already bans drilling off the shores of Florida," Cretul said, "and let me reaffirm that there are no efforts under way in the Legislature to change that."

The speaker issued his statement minutes after Gov. Charlie Crist announced plans to hold a special session of the Legislature on asking voters in November to put an oil-drilling ban in the Florida Constitution.

"I don't know exactly when we will call it, but I know it will be called," said Crist at a media event before Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.

"The special session will talk about forms of renewable energy -- wind, solar, nuclear," noted the governor.

But Cretul countered, "Bringing the Legislature back into session to debate a constitutional amendment for November's election that simply duplicates current law is neither immediately urgent nor truly in the best interests of protecting Floridians, or our environment, or our economy; it is merely a political ploy to promote the future of politicians."

A special session costs taxpayers upwards of $40,000 a day.

Crist, who left the Republican Party last month to continue his campaign for the U.S. Senate, said he had spoken with Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and that legislators were expecting the session. What he did not mention is that, like Cretul, Atwater opposes any notion of a special session on asking voters to decide if an oil-drilling ban should be embedded in the Constitution.

"At a time when our economy is facing record deficits, it is imperative that government use every dollar provided by Florida's taxpayers wisely,'' Atwater said in a press release. " ... I have asked Gov. Crist to submit energy legislation to us that would have minimal impact on Florida's rate-paying citizens and be mindful of the state of Florida's budget."

While Crist did not offer a precise date for the special session, staffers say they expect it to start May 24 and run for a week. Crist even hinted that he was open to a second one dealing with political reform, but that energy was a higher priority.

The governor said at the Cabinet meeting that the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico was the chief reason for the special session.

“This has caused a re-emergence, if you will, for alternative sources of energy for this country,” Crist said. With 80 million tourists visiting Florida annually, Crist said that the state could not afford the economic losses that oil spills from offshore drilling may cause. “We are inextricably linked between our environment and our economy.”