UPDATED: Senate President Jeff Atwater said Wednesday he is "clearly disappointed" that the House is unwilling to consider relief for those impacted by the oil spill. "I have that urgency," he said in an interview. "I feel there is an uncertainty that still exists about the claims-paying process."

Atwater told senators a special session appeared unlikely after the memo from House Speaker Larry Cretul (see it below) suggesting there is no pressing need.

"I want to thank Senator (Don) Gaetz and the members of the Select Committee on Florida's Economy for their hard work on behalf of the Floridians impacted by the oil disaster. I have asked them to continue developing proposals, gathering data, and working with incoming leadership in preparation for the next session," he wrote.

His four-sentence memo contrasts with his boisterous call for a special session two weeks ago when he called for lawmakers to take action.

He said he wasn't able to convince Cretul that the Legislature needed to act sooner than next session to address the spill. "I think (Cretul) feels firmly where he's at," Atwater said. "I don't know what more I could have done."

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