Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Kate BrownPac-12 moves toward 'return to competition' after Big Ten announces resumption of football season Oregon opens first mobile morgue amid wildfires Sunday shows - Trump team defends coronavirus response MORE's (D) office said Friday that Interior Secretary Zinke is considering exempting her state from the Trump administration's proposed offshore drilling plan.

A spokesman for Brown told The Associated Press that Zinke is now deliberating on the request after Brown initiated a phone call with the secretary on Friday.

Brown is at least the eighth governor to set up phone calls with Zinke over his proposal to open up offshore oil and natural gas drilling permits between 2019 and 2024 on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

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Nearly every governor of states on the East and West coasts have demanded to be exempted from the proposal after Zinke granted an exemption to Florida this week over economic and environmental concerns following a meeting with Gov. Rick Scott (R).

Brown reportedly asked for Zinke to give Oregon the same treatment as Florida. The governor's spokesman said the secretary agreed to visit the state as part of his consideration.

Governors and legal experts say that the drilling plan could be struck down if Zinke does not provide the same consideration to other states as he did to Florida.