TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With little discussion, a House panel Wednesday approved a bill that would lead to the creation of a slavery memorial at the Florida Capitol.
The House Oversight, Transparency & Administration Subcommittee approved the measure (HB 67), which Rep. Kionne McGhee, D-Miami, has filed for the 2018 legislative session.
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The bill would direct the Department of Management Services to develop a plan for a slavery memorial at the Capitol Complex and to consider recommendations from the Florida Historical Commission.
The department also would oversee the memorial.
“It is the intent of the Legislature to recognize the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the American colonies and to honor the nameless and forgotten men, women, and children who have gone unrecognized for their undeniable and weighty contributions to the United States,” the bill says.
Sen. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, has filed a similar measure (SB 286) for the 2018 session, which starts in January.