Leon County risks losing $16.8M in grants over historical harms measure
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Leon County in Florida, like many other local municipalities, cities and states, wants to address “historic harm” but has been warned against doing so.
Leon County Board of Commissioners Voted on Tuesday We decided to revive a measure in Tallahassee that would address historical harms by conducting a study of the past and providing some form of compensation.
However, district heads must also comply with these rules. new state law, SB 1134, banning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives across public agencies and local governments. In March, the Florida Legislature passed legislation prohibiting local governments from funding, promoting, or taking official action regarding DEI initiatives.
Commissioners changed the language of the county initiative to avoid violations of state or federal law by cutting out all references to slavery, DEI and reparations.
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Leon County, Florida, like many other local municipalities, cities and states, wants to address “historic harms” but has been warned against it. (Getty Images)
According to the Tallahassee DemocratLeon County government staff asked commissioners to avoid the measure because of the risk of losing $16.8 million in grant money and potentially being removed from the board.
“SB 1134, in part, prohibits the County from funding, promoting, or taking any official action related to DEI and creates a cause of action that a resident could bring against a county that violates the bill,” staff reportedly wrote on the agenda.
“The bill also provides that a county commissioner acting in his or her official capacity who violates the prohibitions is subject to misconduct or abuse of office and is subject to removal.”
Beyond Florida, reparations have become a growing trend among lawmakers from local to state. Similar to Leon County, local municipalities and counties have adopted or are considering adopting working groups to examine the historical harms of slavery, Jim Crow and red-lining policies that led to housing segregation.
Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, went so far as to pay Black residents $25,000 in cash to eliminate racial housing segregation. The cities of Evanston and San Francisco have been hit with lawsuits over alleged racial discrimination.
Lawmakers in Florida will face an uphill battle if they seek compensation for threatening it with SB 1134, a bill that is likely to pass given the Sunshine State’s Republican dominance.
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Leon County government staff asked county commissioners to avoid a measure that would address “historic harms” because they risk losing $16.8 million in grant money and potentially being kicked off the commission, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
To avoid legal issues, Leon County wants to frame the measure more neutrally. The idea was first suggested by Dr. Bruce Strouble reportedly found a loophole in the anti-DEI law by tying the measure to data.
Other commissioners expressed concern about the consequences of violating state laws if the measure goes ahead, citing potential losses of millions of dollars in federal and state funding.
“And so, while I am concerned about some of the wrongs of the past, I feel strongly that we as a state have addressed those wrongs without setting ourselves up as a target for our state finances and our county finances to be impacted,” said Leon County Commissioner Carolyn Cummings. According to WCTV.
Commissioner Nick Maddox insisted the measure was not about DEI, WCTV reported.
“This is about historical harms and public policy,” Maddox said. He continued: “This is about legislation that harms everyone, regardless of race.”
Maddox doubled down on his stance.
“And I want the public, the general public, to understand what I’m voting for. I’ll say this one more time, so I’m clear. I’m not voting for a program based on race or gender. I’m not voting for DEI,” Maddox said.
Commissioner Bill Proctor was reportedly unimpressed by the possibility of removal for continuing the effort and said “so be it” if he were to be removed from office by the governor.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Republicans in the state have opposed DEI policies. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
“I want a progressive, sustained struggle that will make us better,” Proctor said.
The measure, originally proposed as a “Charter Amendment Proposal to Address Persistent Inequalities Resulting from Historic Public Policies” spearheaded by Strouble, was canceled in february During and after the Leon County Charter Review Committee meeting It was revived in March.
Strouble proposed the measure, which proposes addressing historical inequities through a “community restoration fund” without direct individual cash payments, unlike typical reparations efforts in other parts of the country.
“We’re just proposing a structure that requires oversight, creates a fund, and looks at plans to ameliorate those outcomes of these historic policies. So if we focus there, I think that’s something that could work and we should support it,” Strouble said in February.
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Leon County attorney Chasity H. O’Steen reportedly said in February that there would be “serious limitations” if the measure goes forward.
Leon County commissioners did not respond to a request for comment.
