Rick Scott and Trump administration strike deal: No drilling off Florida coast

A hastily arranged airport rendezvous Tuesday ended with an announcement from President Donald Trump’s administration that the state of Florida is “off the table” for new offshore oil drilling, a declaration that brought both relief and protests of election-year politics.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott met with U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke at the airport in Tallahassee Tuesday afternoon. Both men emerged 20 minutes later to face waiting reporters, who had an hour’s notice of the meeting.

“As a result of our interest in making sure that there’s no drilling here, Florida will be taken off the table,” Scott said.

Zinke said the decision was a culmination of multiple meetings between Scott and Trump administration officials.

“Florida is obviously unique,” Zinke said. “For Floridians, we are not drilling off the coast of Florida, and clearly the governor has expressed that it’s important.”