A Florida state senator who used racial slurs and obscene insults during an after-hours conversation with other lawmakers is being stripped of his chairmanship.
Senate President Joe Negron removed Republican Sen. Frank Artiles as chairman of the Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee on Wednesday.
Artiles, a Cuban-American, was expected to publicly apologize for the insults hurled at African-American Democratic Sens. Perry Thurston and Audrey Gibson at a private club near the Capitol on Monday night.
He used a variation of the "n-word" during a private conversation at the Governors Club.