JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Members of Florida’s Democratic Black Caucus are calling for Florida’s Attorney General to reconsider the opinion he issued on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
That opinion essentially declared more than 80 state laws that give preferential treatment to minorities null and void.
“Eliminating these is not color blind, it’s history blind!” said State Senator LaVon Bracy Davis (D-Orlando).
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Attorney General James Uthmeier argued those laws, which include scholarships for minority students, grant programs for minority-owned businesses and requirements for minority representation on state boards and commissions, violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.
But Black lawmakers argued the Attorney General’s actions attempt to reverse years of legislative efforts to right historical wrongs and help minorities achieve in the face of discrimination.
State Senator Mack Bernard (D-West Palm Beach) called for the Governor to remove Uthmeier from office on the same grounds he’s used to justify the removal of State Attorneys in the past.
“Because he is not following the laws that this legislature have passed,” said Bernard.
State Senator Tracie Davis (D-Jacksonville) said she’s worried the AG’s opinion will leave state agencies, boards, and programs in a state of confusion.
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“Schools will not know if tutoring programs for their students who need extra support can continue. Hospitals and clinics will not know if programs addressing maternal health and chronic illnesses will continue,” said Davis.
The lawmakers also called for the rejection of bills that would codify the spirit of the Attorney General’s opinion into law.
State Representative Dean Black (R-Yulee) is sponsoring that bill, which aims to prohibit DEI policies in local government.
On Monday, he told us his bill and the AG’s opinion both have the same aim, which is to make all government policies in Florida colorblind.
“We want local governments out of the business of ideology, and we want them in the business of merit. We want you to hire based of merit. We want you to get contractors awarded based on merit and stop creating these artificial divisions that pit people against one another,” said Black.
Action News Jax reached out to the Attorney General’s Office and offered an opportunity to respond to the criticisms raised by the Legislative Black Caucus.
We have not received a statement yet.
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