Civil rights suits would gain clout
By Associated Press,
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 26, 2003
A measure sought by Attorney General Charlie Crist to give him more authority to sue over civil rights violations passed the Senate Friday as lawmakers said it would make it easier to punish discrimination.
Crist said his office has to follow unusual procedures when trying to go after civil rights violators because current law doesn't give the attorney general authority to sue under the civil rights law.
Instead, Crist's attorneys often try to use economic crimes laws, such as deceptive trade practices, to punish businesses that discriminate. Crist said that tactic has had varying degrees of success.
"This gives us the ability to fight for fundamental fairness for all our citizens," Crist said after the Senate passed the bill 38-1.
The lone "no" vote came from Sen. Anna Cowin, R-Leesburg, who argued that the measure might give the attorney general authority to harass people.
"No one in this body supports discrimination," Cowin said. But "what we have here is an expansion of the realm of the state that I believe (is) going to have us spinning our wheels running around the state protecting ... groups that could possibly cross over into areas of political correctness."
Cowin said there's nothing that stops private groups from going into the civil courts to attempt to punish people for discriminatory acts.
But Sen. Alex Villalobos said the measure was needed.
"Is this an expansion of power?" asked Villalobos, R-Miami. "You bet it is. And I'm glad it's an expansion of power. If (businesses) throw somebody out because of their color, I hope they suffer because of that. This is a good bill; it's overdue."
The measure (CS-SB 1214) now goes to the House.
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