After Monday's vote, Roseville DFL state representative Jamie Becker-Finn shared the roll call tally sheet for the House vote on House Resolution 1 declaring racism a public health crisis.
As readers can see, Republicans Lisa Demuth, Cold Spring; Barb Haley, Red Wing; Rod Hamilton, Mountain Lake; Tony Jurgens, Cottage Grove; Sandra Layman, Cohasset; and, Dean Urdahl, Grove City, voted for the resolution, while a number passed. Representative Mary Franson was excused.
All Democrats voted for the resolution.
Readers can watch the debate here:
At Session Daily, Mike Cook reported in House approves resolution declaring racism a public health crisis in Minnesota:
Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights) said Minnesota won’t fully prosper until opportunities are equitably provided to all citizens.
However, she said “behind the mask of Minnesota Nice” the state currently is one of the worst — if not the worst — when it comes to disparities between races in areas such as income, employment, housing and education.
She sponsors a resolution passed 82-40 by the House Monday that declares racism to be a public health crisis in Minnesota. The governor and the Senate are encouraged to adopt similar resolutions.
“We must confront the reality that inaction, indifference and systemic racism has harmed generations of indigenous, Black, Black-Mex and Asian Minnesotans,” Richardson said.
“This is not about Democrat vs. Republican. This is not about liberal vs. conservative. This is about right and wrong,” added Rep. Mohamud Noor (DFL-Mpls).
SSHR1 would also create a House Select Committee dedicated to examining the House’s legislative efforts though an “intersectional race equity lens,” considering the ways that racism “intersects with disabilities, immigration, gender, documentation status, and LGBTQ+ communities.”
The resolution further calls upon the House to “actively participate in the dismantling of racism” in other ways, including:
- working to ensure public confidence in the equitable administration of public safety;
- reviewing the House’s existing policies and practices, and setting measurable goals to advance equity;
- assessing human resources and vendor selection practices, including those related to hiring, promotions and leadership appointments;
- supporting local, regional and federal initiatives to dismantle systemic racism; and
- meaningfully engaging with communities of color.
“Each of us as an individual member, but certainly the House as an institution, can do so much more to understand the way that this institution continues to perpetuate inequality and to make sure that as we move forward through the next election cycle and creating the next House of Representatives, which we remake in certain ways every two years, that these questions of equity and racism are at the heart of our policymaking as an institution,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley).
Rep. Ron Kresha (R-Little Falls) expressed concern about what is not in the resolution.
For example, at one point the resolution says that racism is complex, but then it tries to “encapsulate racism,” which he views as impossible. “This body cannot define the impact or dimensions of racism with a simple majority vote and words on paper.”
Kresha, who was one of several members to pass on the vote [see image at the top of this post], also said the resolution has an unintended consequence of trying to divide the House instead of unite.
“One of the best solutions to combatting racism is to have conversations and build shared experiences, allowing people to realize the challenges, difficulties and obstructions that exist in different communities,” he said. “This resolution is forcing an opinion based on words; this resolution is forcing members to decide whether they agree with all the words on a page rather than how to actually solve the real-world issue.”
A media release from the DFL Caucus is more positive than Kresha's sudden fear of words:
Saint Paul, Minn. — The Minnesota House of Representatives today voted to declare racism a public health crisis.
According to the official resolution voted upon today, the declaration applies to the entire state and affirms that the Minnesota House will be an active participant in the dismantling of racism. It creates a House Select Committee on Minnesota’s response tasked with analyzing legislative work through an intersectional race equity lens.
“This is about advancing and promoting equitable opportunity across all of our systems, in the areas of health, education, housing, public safety, and economic and workforce development,” said Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights), chief author of the resolution. “The COVID-19 pandemic and senseless murder of George Floyd have shined a light on the historical and contemporary injustices that are still embedded in our society.”
The resolution states that racism is embedded in the foundation of America, beginning with chattel slavery in 1619, and that much of the Black experience in America has been endured under slavery and Jim Crow, which created preferential opportunities for white people while subjecting people of color to hardships and disadvantages in every area of life.
“Communities of color continue to face unacceptable disparities in our state, and many of these are a direct result of systemic racism that has existed for centuries,” said Rep. Rena Moran (DFL – Saint Paul), chair of the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus. “Today’s action in the Minnesota House recognizes this, and we’re committed to building an inclusive state where everyone has the opportunity to be safe, healthy, and successful.”
Minnesota joins more than 20 cities and counties and at least three states, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, to declare racism a public health crisis. The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Emergency Physicians have also declared institutional racism an urgent public health issue in statements and vowed to eradicate racism and discrimination in health care.
“The murder of George Floyd at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer set in motion a global movement that cannot be ignored and cannot be brought down by politics as usual,” said Rep. Mohamud Noor (DFL-Minneapolis). “The resolution we are voting on is the first of many steps we will take together in the coming days, months, and years to ensure people who look like me, our children, and future generations have equitable access to opportunity and prosperity.”
"Racism is a public health crisis. The Minnesota House of Representatives is taking action to formally recognize this reality — which must be acknowledged in order for us to make progress," said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. "Minnesota has disturbing inequities in education, healthcare, employment, and housing. The House will undertake efforts to dismantle the structural racism inherent in our own institution as we continue our work to address these inexcusable inequities throughout Minnesota."
“As an institution, the Minnesota House of Representatives needs to play an active role in dismantling systems that have denied dignity, respect, and compassion to so many for so long,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. "While we work for racial justice and police accountability, it's critical that we also examine ourselves and our policies and practices. Our nation is facing a historic moment, and the Minnesota House plans to be on the side of justice and human rights.”
At this time, the Minnesota Senate has not announced plans to advance a similar resolution.
Image: From Becker-Finn's tweet of the vote tally sheet.
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