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Features
Senator Responds To Comments By Representative
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last week, Thursday, Rep. Matt Gaetz stated on Twitter that a lawsuit filed by Democratic Senators, “Reads like it was re- searched and drafted by Sen. Joyner ... and spell checked by Sen. Bullard.”
Senator Arthenia Joyner and Senator Dwight Bullard are both African American. A total of 13 Democratic Senators had filed an emergency lawsuit challenging the House for ending the session early.
Some individuals, includ- ing some elected officials, felt the tweet was racial. Of the comment, Senate Democratic Leader Arthenia Joyner said, “Let me begin by saying I am deeply grateful to Sena- tor Latvala and the many others who immediately spoke out against the dis- graceful tweet by Rep. Gaetz. Your support made
the sting of such hurtful re- marks less biting and I truly appreciate your having my back.
“But there are two things that remain deeply troubling to me, as they should to most Floridians.
“First, there has been no apology from Rep. Gaetz. There were some additional tweets, one attacking liberals and Obamacare, but the si- lence addressing his dis- paraging remarks has been deafening.
“Second, the Speaker’s at- tempts to defend his member while assuring us of Gaetz’s non-racist persona did not succeed. In fact, I believe they underscored what myself and others have long suspected, namely that this fierce battle launched by the House Re- publicans against the Senate’s good healthcare expansion bill had nothing to do with taking federal money.
“In our current budget, the one the House bragged
ARTHENIA JOYNER Senate Democratic Leader
about after its passage last year, more than one third of the money in that budget – the one paying our expenses right now – came from Wash- ington, D. C. Yet, while Rep- resentatives like Gaetz and Corcoran and Speaker Crisafulli were ranting and declaring war and jumping up and down over the evils of taking federal money for Medicaid expansion, not one of them – not one! – ever sug-
gested or offered to return a penny of the federal money they’re relying on now or what they have every inten- tion of grabbing for the budget to come.”
Senator Issues Statement On Florida Supreme Court Decision
Last Tuesday, mem- bers of the Florida House abruptly ended their ses- sion after reaching an impasse on the Florida Budget. Some officials called the move illegal and sought a ruling from members of the Florida Supreme Court.
Senate Democratic Leader Arthenia Joyner (D- Tampa), along with Senator Darren Soto (D-Orlando) issued the following state- ment on the state Supreme Court’s decision:
Leader Joyner: “Five state Supreme Court Justices agreed with our position: the Florida House did indeed vi-
olate the state Constitution with its unilateral adjourn- ment earlier this week:
’The unilateral adjourn- ment sine die by the House on April 28, 2015, at 1:15 pm – which resulted in a pe- riod of adjournment during the 2015 regular session ex- ceeding seventy-two consecu- tive house – violated the plain requirements of the Constitu- tion.’ Labarga, Lewis, Quince, and Perry concur- ring with Pariente.
“While the Justices held that the Writ was not feasible, the key question as to whether the House’s actions were unconstitutional has been clearly answered. Their legacy has been cemented.”
Senator Soto: “We fought to establish a lasting precedent today that both chambers are equal under the law. I am proud that the Supreme Court agreed with us, and that this is now the law of the land for future Florida legislatures.”
Equality Florida Leader Optimistic On Supreme Court’s Decision On Same Sex Marriages
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Nadine Smith is an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) activist, and has been Executive Director of Equality Florida since its in- ception in 1997.
Smith has been working diligently for years to create equality for the gay commu- nity, and now her campaign has her lobbying for same sex marriages.
“The Supreme Court has listened to a pair of argu- ments, and one is if states
NADINE SMITH
should recognize same sex marriages in other states.
“What that means is if you are married in a state that rec- ognizes same sex marriages, can you carry that recognition to another state?”
Smith said the Obama Administration has long been in favor of marriage equality.
“When we began in Florida, we put our vision of what quality and fairness looked like. What has been surprising is how swiftly things have moved in Florida. In so many ways, we had a wa- tershed moment because peo- ple regretted casting their vote for discrimination.”
Smith said the legal pro- tection should be the same, and a lot of people became ac- tivists that never saw them- selves that way.
“We anticipate a ruling been now and June. The sup- port cuts across political lines. Democrats are more commit- ted, but we’ve had more Re- publicans joining our fight lately.
KY PETERSON
“A recent poll revealed 81% of Floridians wee in favor of same sex marriages.”
Smith said when it comes to children, there are a lot of straight people she believes shouldn’t have children.
“It’s great everyone has an opinion. Everyone doesn’t agree with everything, and that’s fine. But you shouldn’t deny anyone their basic rights under the constitution because of their sexual preference.”
Smith said she thinks if people want to draw color lines about the gay commu- nity, that’s nothing new.
“The NAACP has long been supportive of marriage equal- ity, and the right to live by the same laws as everyone else should never been based on your sexual preferences.”
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral ar- guments on four marriage equality cases. However, the day was complicated by the painful reminder of the ongo- ing fight to end police brutality and state-imposed violence as people took to the streets of
ASHLEY DIAMOND
Baltimore just 40 miles north of Washington, D.C.
In a message from Get EQUAL co-director Heather Cronk, she says as marriage equality has come within reach, they have seen how LGBT people face incredible obstacles beyond their right to marry, with the deepest im- pact of oppression and dis- crimination experienced by Black transgender women, as well as people of color and transsexual people more broadly.
“We have seen how the is- sues of unjust detention and deportation have affected he lives of gay immigrants and how racist policing and crimi- nalization of black people has led to the incarceration of Ky Peterson and Ashley Dia- mond.
‘We have also seen the ramifications of a system deeply unconcerned with the lives of trans women of color, as at least six trans women of color were murdered in the first three months of 2015.”
PAGE 2 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015