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Dozens of clean energy advocates are riding home on buses tonight… with their hopes crushed and their faith in the system fleeting. It took the Florida House just 49 minute to adjourn without voting on a constitutional ban on offshore oil drilling. As Whitney Ray tells us, supporters of a ban are down but not out.

They rallied in the capitol with the governor by their side. They rallied outside surrounded by Democratic lawmakers. Their message clear. Their motivation; protecting the environment

“This is a sign of the times. This is a crossroads, right here. Either we do things right now or we go down hill,” said Gertrude Palmer as joined hands with other clean energy advocates.

200 people representing 14 environmental groups woke up before the sun, loaded onto busses and begged their elected officials to pass a ballot initiative that would let people vote for a constitutional ban on offshore oil drilling.

“It’s war. There’s so much going on here; raising awareness, getting hands together, joining people. Nobody wants oil,” said Karissa Berrera, who traveled from St. Petersburg to lobby for a drilling ban.

Their shouts could be heard across the capitol courtyard. And with their energy and hopes high the group then headed into the capitol to see what their elected official would do.

But the House never voted on the issue. Instead they voted to adjourn. Kim Ross the rally organizer was shocked.

“They just slapped the voters in the face. They said, we just spent your money to come up here and we are not going to do anything here,” said Ross.

Now the 200 environmentalists have a new goal; vote out the lawmakers that voted to go home. The group was also calling on lawmakers to pass clean energy tax credits. The issue was never discussed, but it could become part of a September Special Session, the House Speaker has committed to calling.