Human rights agency seeks new offices in three cities

The Department of Human Rights would add outposts in Duluth, Rochester and Worthington under Gov. Mark Dayton’s 2018-19 budget proposal.

“People in Minnesota say this is something that they really want to have happen,” Commissioner Kevin Lindsey told the House State Government Finance Committee Wednesday.

Rep. Mark Uglem (R-Champlin) asked how the department could continue to become more efficient while adding overhead costs with new satellite offices.

Lindsey called it a “delicate balancing act,” but said several types of human rights investigations benefit from face-to-face contact between investigators and complainants. For example, personal contact is important in building trust with women stalked by harassers on the job or children bullied at school, he said.

Currently, the agency has a headquarters in St. Paul and a regional office in St. Cloud. Adding three more regional offices would cost the state $2.3 million over two years.

Most of the department’s budget comes from the General Fund. Expenditures for the current biennium are nearly $9.3 million. The governor’s proposal would boost that biennial figure to $12.9 million.

In addition to the three new regional offices, the governor’s budget proposal calls for an increase of $692,000 to cover rising operating costs and maintain the current delivery levels, and $300,000 to expand so-called Ban the Box employment enforcement to also cover rental housing.

State law assigns the Department of Human Rights 19 duties, of which Lindsey said three are primary: investigating charges of discrimination; ensuring contractors provide equal opportunity and pay; and using education to reduce discrimination and disparate outcomes.

The committee also heard overviews from three of the four state ethnic councils: the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans and the Indian Affairs Council. The Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs overview is scheduled for Thursday.