Kendrick Meek
Monday, February 21, 2000
Governor Jeb Bush’s “One Florida” initiative has stirred up a bevy of divisiveness in our state. One of his loudest protagonists is our next speaker, Senator Kendrick Meek, who staged a 25-hour sit-in outside the Governor’s office. Meek, elected two years ago to the Senate, has represented the Miami area for six years in the Legislature. He objects to Bush’s plan to end affirmative action in state contracting and college admissions. Bush has fired back that his One Florida plan will do more for minorities than affirmative action has ever done. Bush maintains that statewide goals for contractiing and college admissions through affirmative action laws aren’t doing enough to help minorities because of loopholes and low goals. Meek would rather the issue be debated by the Legislature and has turned up the volume on his protest. What happens next will be the topic of the next Captial Tiger Bay meeting.