TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ Forced to show contrition by Florida Senate leaders, Miami Republican Sen. Frank Artiles stood on the chamber floor Wednesday morning and told his colleagues he was sorry for insulting them in private using curse words and a racial slur.
"I extend a heartfelt apology to my colleagues and to all those I have offended," Artiles began, reading from prepared remarks.
He offered a direct apology to Sen. Audrey Gibson, a Jacksonville Democrat he had called a "b----" in an alcohol-laced tirade two days earlier.
"My comments to you were the most regretful of all, because they injured you personally," Artiles said. "No one deserves to be spoken to like that."
Gibson kept her back turned to Artiles and did not look at him once.
Artiles acknowledged his comments, made in private Monday night and revealed Tuesday, reflected poorly on him. He also apologized to Sen. Perry Thurston, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat who witnessed Artiles' exchange with Gibson and tried to get Artiles to reconsider his crass language before the conversation got out of hand.
Thurston said afterward the floor apology was insufficient, a sentiment shared by other Democrats.
"It's not like it was an accident," Thurston said of Artiles' diatribe. "The behavior here was inappropriate and totally unbecoming of a senator."
Thurston's language appeared deliberate: Senate rules allow for any member to file a formal complaint against senator for ethical misconduct. Republican Senate President Joe Negron of Stuart said Wednesday a complaint _ which could result in a formal admonishment or even in removal from the Senate _ would get a rules committee hearing.
Artiles' refusal to apologize to Gibson in person Tuesday prompted Senate leaders to get involved in refereeing the matter. By then, most of Artiles' remarks to Gibson and Thurston _ including deriding Negron as a "pussy" and lamenting that "niggas" in the GOP caucus elected him _ had been made public. Both Gibson and Thurston are black.
Artiles said sorry in person late Tuesday only after Negron asked Majority Leader Wilton Simpson of Trilby to ensure an apology took place. When he gave his apology, a reluctant Artiles was accompanied by incoming Senate President Bill Galvano of Bradenton.
According to Negron, he later telephoned Artiles and told him he planned to bring up the incident on the Senate floor as the first order of business Wednesday _ unless Artiles wanted to say something himself, essentially forcing the Miami senator to request a "point of personal privilege" to address his colleagues.
Wednesday morning, Negron stripped Artiles of his chairmanship of the Senate Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee, a symbolic move of little practical consequence, given the late date of the annual lawmaking session. Asked by reporters if Artiles should resign, Negron said that's between "him and his constituents."
"I owe you an apology," Artiles told Negron on the floor, asking forgiveness for his "crass and juvenile comments." Artiles had not apologized previously on the phone, or privately to Negron, the Senate president said.
"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.
As for using the N-word, Artiles didn't repeat it Wednesday _ but argued the slur (referring to Republicans who, in fact, aren't black) was aimed at "no one in particular."
His excuse for using it is "inadequate," the Cuban-American lawmaker conceded, but he gave it anyway:
"I grew up in a diverse community," he said, referring to his hometown of Hialeah. "We share each other's customs."
Hialeah Sen. Rene Garcia, a fellow Miami-Dade Republican, later issued a statement asking Artiles to also seek forgiveness from city residents.
"As someone who also grew up in Hialeah and represents the hardworking families living there, my constituents and I would agree that this language is simply unacceptable," Garcia said. "Senator Artiles owes the residents of Hialeah an apology for unfairly associating them with this kind of behavior."
Artiles' apology lasted about three minutes and 45 seconds. Before session began, he spoke to several fellow Republicans, getting a handshake from Garcia and a hug from Vero Beach Sen. Debbie Mayfield. Meanwhile, Rules Chairwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto of Fort Myers, also a Republican, put her arm around Gibson.
Earlier, Senate Democrats gathered for a caucus meeting in which Minority Leader Oscar Braynon of Miami Gardens urged lawmakers to "let this play out." Gibson said she never intended to talk publicly about Artiles' remarks, but his tirade was witnessed by enough people that the story hit the press.
"There is a firestorm, and it's an unfortunate circumstance," she said. "But words have consequences in no matter what setting you're in."
Braynon, who is also black, told reporters Artiles should face "some sort of consequence."
"Just saying sorry may not suffice to the people he's offended," Braynon said.
The legislative black caucus _ whose members belong to the Senate and House of Representatives _ plans to hold an emergency meeting followed by a news conference in the afternoon. The caucus is expected to call for Artiles' resignation, as the Florida Democratic Party and Florida Strong, a liberal advocacy group, did Tuesday night.
Also asking for Artiles' resignation were two announced Democratic candidates for governor, Andrew Gillum and Chris King, and a likely third candidate, Gwen Graham.
So, will Artiles step down?
"Absolutely not," a defiant Artiles told reporters, calling his Southwest Miami-Dade seat "targeted" by Democrats.
He pledged instead to file soon for his 2018 re-election _ and win.
