A Republican state lawmaker gave the middle finger to one of his Democratic colleagues on Tuesday during a heated state Assembly debate about gun violence in Milwaukee.
Rep. Bob Gannon. Courtesy of state of Wisconsin
The exchange started when Democrats called on Rep. Bob Gannon, R-Slinger, to apologize for a press release he issued blaming Wisconsin’s economic woes on Milwaukee’s murder rate and black unemployment rate. Democrats called his comments racist.
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Gannon responded on the Assembly floor, saying: “Put your focus where it belongs and stop worrying about me. Your drugs, your crime knows no border.”
When Assembly Democratic Minority Leader Peter Barca rose to again call for an apology, Gannon made a gesture.
Barca responded: “Give me the finger? Mr. Speaker, I’d like to make a motion to reprimand him. He just stood up, I’m sure Wisconsin Eye will plainly show him giving me the finger.”
Minutes later, Gannon confirmed the gesture.
“In the heat of the battle, I made a gesture that was probably — that is improper for the floor, and I apologize for that,” he said.
Gannon did not apologize for his other remarks.
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