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The 31 day sleep-in at the State Capitol prompted changes in access rules at the building, and now as Matt Horn reports, the state Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys wants lawmakers to help in the research of inequities the sit-in was protesting.

Numbers don’t lie. If you’re a black male, you’re more likely to be locked up than any other ethnic group.

“Our mission is to study those conditions and come up with remedies for them,” said Eddy Regnier.

Thursday morning The Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys – worked to address racial disparities here in Florida. The Council wants lawmakers to fund research on inequalities.

“We have a statute that doesn’t allow us to really spend the money to do the research in the way we need to do it,” said Regnier.

The study has support from both Republicans and Democrats.

“I think that it’s in some great hands, getting bi-partisan participation from both houses,” said Senator Ocscar Braynon, II.

Earlier this summer The Dream Defenders brought racial inequality to the forefront across Florida. They sat in the state Capitol for 31 days to address what they are calling important issues like the school-to-prison-pipeline.

According to the US Department of Education’s Civil Right’s Office: more than 70-percent of students arrested or referred to law enforcement are black or Hispanic.

“If we move forward in Florida you’ll see we may become a model to help solve some of those in the country. It’s not just Florida where black men and boys have issues. It’s all over the country,” said Braynon.

Lawmakers say if the research is properly done – it may help find solutions for multiple problems… which could result in a better future for Florida’s youth – no matter their race.

The council already has a small budget – but state statute limits how they are able to spend the money.