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Victor Torres, Florida Senator for Osceola County, received a racially-charged, threatening and hateful voicemail regarding his opposition to a firearms-related bill going through the Legislature.
Sen. Danny Burgess last week described a late-night racially-charged, threatening and hateful voicemail that Sen. Victor Torres, D-Orlando, who represents Osceola County in the Florida Senate, received in early March as “absolutely disgusting.”
Torres, a former New York City transit police detective, received the voicemail after opposing a firearms-related bill sponsored by Burgess last month.
Burgess’ proposal (SB 214) seeks to prevent credit-card companies from tracking firearm and ammunition sales in Florida. Torres expressed concerns the bill could hinder law enforcement efforts to prevent mass shootings.
Torres received a call from a man describing himself as a Polk County resident who disparaged Torres’ Hispanic heritage and said guns are needed to keep minorities — verbalized with more specific language in the call — “away from our homes, our business, from raping our wives and children.”
Torres said, “Republicans are jeopardizing the public safety of all Floridians by empowering these racist zealots with their divisive Hate Agenda. The divisive, partisan political agenda emboldens this disgusting behavior – pushed by the Republican majority. The laws they write are fueling potential violent acts in the future, and neither myself, my family or my constituents will stand by and be victims.”
When Burgess’ bill came up Monday in the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee, Torres asked Burgess if he had heard the call, which referred to blacks and Hispanics with racial slurs.
“These situations are unfortunate. They’re terrible. They’re tragic and I’m sorry that it happened to you,” Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, said. “Honestly, I think it speaks to the watering down of civility in our society today and is a broader issue that I hope we can course-correct very soon.”
Torres again raised concerns over Burgess’ proposal and voted against the bill, which was approved in a 7-2 vote by the Commerce and Tourism Committee.
“Let us be clear: diversity of opinion should never lead to threats of violence — period, the end, said Lauren Book, leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus. “Any individual who spews the kind of hateful, racist, threats of violence like those made against Senator Torres — a man who has dedicated his life to public service, from an esteemed career protecting public safety as a New York City cop to his current representation of Central Floridians in the Florida Senate — will be reported to and swiftly dealt with by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.”
News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
