A Nevada State Senator is apologizing after using racist language during a committee hearing this week.
As a warning, this story contains offensive language.
During a Senate Finance Subcommittee meeting, Republican Senator Pete Goicoechea of Eureka told his fellow lawmakers he was worried about creating a “tar baby” in state policy.
The term is considered by many to be a racial slur that stems from the stories of Uncle Remus, a post-Civil War fictional character, who has more recently been seen to perpetuate Black stereotypes and whitewash the atrocities of slavery.
Goicoechea said he meant no offense by using the word.
“It's a term I've used most of my life, ever since I was a little kid,” he said. “I clearly didn't intend to... mean to offend anybody, and if I did I sincerely apologize, and I'll pay a lot more attention in the future.”
However, for some in the building, such as Democratic Senator Dallas Harris of Las Vegas, the use of the word is emblematic of the systemic racism ever-present in American society.
“I think it's an example of how we operate,” she said, “where we tend to ignore some of these racial beginnings. I think it's a great example of just how things have seeped so deep into our consciousness [and] into how we just do regular business."
Goicoechea says he is willing to offer a public apology if his colleagues feel it is necessary.