Negron, R-Stuart, told reporters Wednesday “there’s never any excuse” for the “gender-specific insults” Artiles directed toward Gibson, but would not say whether he should resign.
“Any further action …
Artiles, elected in November after a bitter general election battle against former Democratic Sen. Dwight Bullard, is no stranger to controversy.
For example, the conservative Republican garnered national news coverage for sponsoring a measure in 2015 that would have banned transgender people from using bathrooms that don’t match the gender on their birth certificates.
Artiles accused critics of politicizing this week’s comments because his district leans Democratic.
“I am in a targeted seat. It was a plus-9 Obama seat which they (Democrats) lost in a presidential year,” he said. “At the end of the day, I am an aggressive senator. I go after my bills. I work very hard. I’m a professional. … Sometimes people get heated and arguments happen. It happens with other senators, not just myself.”
