A Republican from Miami
resists calls for his resignation for making racist and sexist remarks while arguing with black lawmakers. He does apologize, though.
TALLAHASSEE — A Republican from Miami resisted calls Wednesday for his resignation or removal from the Senate for making racist and sexist remarks while arguing with black lawmakers Monday night at a private club.
Sen. Frank Artiles apologized on the floor of the Senate to Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville, for calling her a “bitch” and a “girl” and to Sen. Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, for calling him an “a--hole.”
“Senator Audrey Gibson, I apologize. I am so sorry for the words and the tone I used with you, regretfully, Monday night,” Artiles said. “No one deserves to be spoken to that way, much less a person of your stature, dignity and integrity. I humbly ask you to accept my heartfelt apology.”
According to the Miami Herald, Artiles was angry at Gibson for questioning bills he sponsored earlier in the day and started yelling at her in the Governor’s Club, a members-only club a block away from the Capitol.
Artiles also called Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, a “p----y” and referred to six fellow Republicans who supported Negron using slang for the “N-word.”
Thurston and Gibson, though, aren’t accepting the apology. Gibson did not face Artiles as he spoke. Thurston, chairman of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, filed an official complaint with the Senate Rules Committee, calling for Artiles to be expelled from the Senate.
“I don’t think Senator Gibson or I thought it was very much of an apology,” Thurston said.
Negron said Artiles’ “profane, sexist insults have no place in conversation between Senators and will not be tolerated while I am serving as Senate President.”
Negron removed Artiles as chair of the Senate Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee on Wednesday and replaced him with Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland.
Republican leaders took immediate steps to act on Thurston’s complaint. The Rules Committee chairwoman agreed it’s likely Artiles violated chamber rules, Negron assigned a lawyer and asked for a recommendation by Tuesday.
Artiles was less contrite after his apology on the floor, telling reporters he was upset his bills weren’t advancing in the Senate and that he wouldn’t resign.
“If every time a senator made a mistake or someone made a mistake, that they were going to resign, we’d have half the Senate gone for whatever reason,” Artiles said. “I did not insult anybody directly. What I did was have a heated debate with a colleague.”
Artiles also attempted to explain his use of racial slang.
“I grew up in a diverse community. We shared each other’s customs, culture and vernacular. I realize that my position does not allow me for the looseness of words or slang, regardless of how benign my intentions were,” Artiles said.
But Senate Democratic leader Oscar Braynon of Miami Gardens, an African-American, didn’t accept that explanation.
“It’s not something that anyone should be saying. It’s not something you should use to refer to an African-American colleague, a Democratic colleague a member of the Republican [caucus],” Braynon said. “No one should be called that word.”
Artiles suggested the outrage surrounding his tirade was driven by partisan motives, because he occupies a swing seat in a Miami-Dade County district.