Near doubling of Department of Human Rights’ budget would expand services

Gov. Tim Walz’s biennial budget recommendation for the Department of Human Rights includes increased funding to expand the department’s reach, hire new employees and create a micro-grant program supporting local programs to prevent discrimination.

“The issues we face aren’t urban or rural, they touch all communities throughout Minnesota,” Commissioner Rebecca Lucero told the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Division Tuesday.

The $14.07 million biennial request in General Fund dollars is a 47 percent jump — $4.91 million — from base funding.

“Minnesota is a state with strong outcomes in education, employment, and economic success in some communities, while having some of the deepest racial disparities in the nation in employment, household income, education, and criminal justice. As Minnesota becomes increasingly demographically diverse, our collective success – economically, socially, and politically – is inexorably connected to our ability to address these disparities,” according to the request.

The largest portion of the funding increase — $4.19 million — would allow the department to open new regional offices in Bemidji, Duluth, Rochester and Worthington, while adding capacity to the St. Cloud office. A portion of that money would also fund local micro-grant programs and other educational efforts to prevent discrimination.

In total, the budget request would allow the department to hire 17 additional full-time employees, 13 of whom would staff the new regional offices.

“The Department’s current budget is insufficient to proactively address the critical issues we face. For context, the Department’s current staffing level is 15 FTEs fewer than it was in 1996, while the Department faces more complex issues in an increasingly diverse state,” the request states. “ … A transformative investment in the Department is needed to allow us to make real progress in fulfilling our mission to make Minnesota discrimination free.”