Meek founded the Young Democrats at Florida A&M University. Meek started as a Florida Highway Patrolman where he quickly rose to the rank of Captain. He was the first African-American in Florida to do so. He was assigned a security detail traveling with then Lieutenant Governor Buddy MacKay. He then served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1995-1998. He then served in the Florida State Senate from 1998-2002. After his mother retired from the U.S House of Representatives in 2003 he succeeded her buy winning the election in 2002 uncontested. He did so three more times over the next 6 years.
Meek is a liberal Democrat. While in the Florida State Senate, he was involved in a sit-in to protest the One-Florida law which was to replace affirmative action. After a long sit-in, Jeb Bush and Meek sat down together and drafted an agreement that satisfied Meek. In 2002, Meek launched an initiative which would later be known as the class size amendment. This amendment reduced all classrooms in Florida to at most 25 students.
Policy Stances:
-Opposes the Federal Marriage Act which would ban gay marriage
-Opposes the Hyde Amendment which restricts federal funding for abortions
-Opposes ban on notification laws for minors seeking abortions
-Voted for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (Bailout)
-When speaking about H.J. Res 88 (ban on same sex marriage) Meek said to the House Speaker:
"Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my strong opposition to H.J. Res. 88, a proposed Constitutional amendment that would prohibit same sex marriages. This proposed amendment is not directed at any real problem, other than the apparent need of the Republican leadership to gin up political support for their candidates. It is sad that the Republican leadership is not as interested as they say they are in 'protecting' the institution of marriage as they are in waging a campaign to divide and distract the American people from the real issues that need to be addressed. The nation is at war in Iraq; we face crises in Iran, North Korea and Lebanon; the federal deficit is soaring out of control as more and more U.S. debt is controlled by countries like China; energy costs continue to rise and Americans wait for Congress to act to increase the minimum wage. The Republican response: wasting hours of debate on an unnecessary Constitutional amendment that had already been defeated in the Senate."
Kendrick Meek's Webpage
