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"It's amazing when you've attacked the person who could protect you. The attack on the members using the n-word crosses the line in any circumstances, but when you're also attacking the members who could protect you, that probably added to the quick resolution," he said.

Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens, called Artiles' move "not only the right decision, but the honorable one."

Senate GOP leaders publicly denied that Artiles' fellow Republicans had pressured the former state representative to step down, even as public demands for his ouster intensified.

"The situation is regretful, however I think he did the right thing in resigning and putting his interest beneath that of the Senate," Sen. Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican slated to take over as president of the chamber in November 2018, told the News Service.

House Speaker Richard Corcoran praised Artiles' Marine service and dedication to his family. Artiles served six years in the House before getting elected to the Senate in November.

"Frank Artiles loves his community, is an incredibly effective legislator and advocate, and has shown again he will always do what's best for the people of Florida. I sincerely hope that as Frank seeks forgiveness and absolution from those hurt by his words, he will be met with forgiveness and a second chance" Corcoran, R-Land O' Lakes, said in a statement.

Artiles' exit just two weeks before the scheduled May 5 end of the legislative session will lead to a special election in District 40, a heavily Hispanic seat that leans Democratic. Gov. Rick Scott will announce details of the special election in the coming weeks, a spokesman said Friday.

Artiles --- who 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 --- defeated former Democratic Sen. Dwight Bullard in a bitter election fight in November.

"These words aren't in a bubble. When you use racial epithets, those resonate through entire communities. I think Sen. Artiles understands that better today than he did Tuesday. You can't just say the n-word and think universally black people aren't going to be offended. I believe he drew the right conclusion in resigning from office,” Bullard, now political director for New Florida Majority, said in a telephone interview.

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4/21/2017

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