Minnesota Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity
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MINNESOTA LEGISLATIVE REPORT CARD ON RACIAL EQUITY 2005–2006 JERMAINE TONEY ORGANIZING APPRENTICESHIP PROject | ORGANIZING APPRENTICESHIP PROJECT TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION—Race Mtters in Minnesot ........................................................ 1 2005–2006 RACIAL EQUITY LEGISLATION................................................. 10 BILLS Eduction Equity ................................................................................................... 12 Civil Rights Equity nd Criminl Justice ................................................................... 17 Economic Equity ................................................................................................... 20 Helth Equity ........................................................................................................ 25 Institutionl Racism ............................................................................................... 28 Americn Indin Tril Sovereignty .......................................................................... 33 REPORTING ON THE GOVERNOR ................................................................. 36 LEGISLATIVE REPORT CARD Summry of the Report crd: Unfinished Business ................................................... 38 House Report crd ................................................................................................ 42 Sente Report crd ............................................................................................... 50 REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 54 ORGANIZING APPRENTICESHIP PROJECT The Orgnizing Apprenticeship Project works to dvnce rcil, culturl, socil nd economic justice in Minnesot through orgnizer nd ledership trining, policy reserch nd strtegic convening work. | 2005–2006 legislATIVE REPORT CARD ON RACIAL EQUITY Race in Minnesota The Minnesota Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity assesses the performance of the Minnesota Legislature and the governor during the 2005–2006 biennium on policies that address and strengthen racial equity and opportunity in the state. It also assesses legislative efforts that strengthen American Indian tribal sovereignty. RACE MATTERS in Minnesota. In a state long proud of its progressive tradition, a state once seen as a leader in work for equity and inclusion, a state where most of us strongly value equality of opportunity and want a community that is just and fair … race matters. ORGANIZING APPRENTICESHIP PROJECT | 1 Minnesota leads the nation in commonly accepted quality- of-life indicators such as educational achievement, health, wealth and homeownership. Meanwhile, those and other indicators show a distinct racial bias that contradicts our most deeply held values. Minnesota’s communities of color and American Indian communities are not benefiting from the abundant opportunities documented in Minnesota: RACE MATTERS IN MINNESOTA • Nearly 93 percent of white high school students graduate, while only 63 percent of Blacks, 55 percent of Latinos and 64 percent of American Indians graduate.1 While overall 86 percent of Asian-Pacific Islanders graduate, only 45 percent of Hmong adults in the Twin Cities’ area posses a high school diploma.2 • Only 5.9 percent of whites lack health insurance, while 12.8 percent of Blacks, 34.2 percent of Latinos, 21 percent of American Indians and 9.8 percent of Asian-Pacific Islanders lack health insurance.3 • The unemployment rate among whites is 4.3 percent. Blacks have an unemploy- ment rate that is three times higher (12.9 percent), Latinos have an unemploy- ment rate of 6.4 percent, and the rate among Asian-Pacific Islanders is 5 percent.4 • Most of Minnesota’s 11 tribal reservations have poverty rates double that of the statewide population.5 • While over three-quarters (77 percent) of whites own homes, only one-third (32 percent) of Blacks, 43 percent of Latinos, 49 percent of American Indians and 52 percent of Asian-Pacific Islanders own homes.6 • And, in a disparity so particular to communities of color that it is not even noted as a quality-of-life indicator for whites—people of color are stopped and searched by police at greater rates, despite the data which shows that people of color are less likely to be found with contraband when searched than white drivers.7 Race-based disparities in opportunity, access and outcomes between white Minnesotans and Minnesotans of color are stark—in some cases, they are among the worst in the nation. The hard truth is that in Minnesota, one’s real access to opportunity, one’s real ability to build a strong and healthy family and community, is strongly limited by the color of one’s skin and the homeland of one’s ancestors. No matter how hard you work. No matter what your dreams. (And no matter what most of us would like to believe.) Disparities such as these are not accidents of individual behavior. Rather, they are rooted in and grow from systems, institutions and policies that shape our public life. These disparities are also not a permanent feature of our social landscape. Policies that perpetuate disparities based on race can be challenged and changed. We can advance race-conscious policies that strengthen racial equity in Minnesota. Our values—and our changing population—demand it. 2 | 2005–2006 legislATIVE REPORT CARD ON RACIAL EQUITY AN EQUITABLE MULTI-RACIAL MINNESOTA Over the last 15 years, Minnesota has become strikingly more racially and ethnically diverse.8 By 2030, at least 16 percent of Minnesota’s population will be people of color, nearly doubling from 9 percent in 2000.9 Contrary to popular myth, that growth will not center in the urban areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul. In fact, over the past five years, the strongest percentage of growth in communities of color has been in suburban communities, while the fastest growth of public school students of color is in greater Minnesota.10 By 2030, the percentage of people of color in Minnesota will surpass the percentage of registered voters who voted in our last primary election.11 There will be more people of color in the state than the total number of Minnesotans who voted for either Governor Tim Pawlenty or Senator Norm Coleman in 2002.12 Further, there will be more Minnesotans of color than the current number of women in the states’ workforce, more than the current number of managers, farmers, construction workers, repairmen, lawyers and doctors combined.13 Race-based disparities in opportunity, access and outcomes between white Minnesotans and Minnesotans of color are stark—in some cases, they are among the worst in the nation. These statistics are important—but the question of who we are and what we are going to be is deeper and more fundamental than demographics alone. It is a question of values, a question of what we choose to stand for, as a community and as a society. It is also a question of survival—people of color will be a quarter of the state’s labor force by 2030, and absolutely essential leaders in our state’s overall economy. Clearly, Minnesota is already a multi-racial state. The question is whether we are on the path to become a strong, thriving and equitable multi-racial community, a community that values and stands for fairness, justice, and opportunity for all. To realize that vision, work towards true racial equity needs to be at our core. We need to challenge ourselves to live our values—and we need to challenge our leaders at every level to step up, to act and to be accountable for public policies that advance racial equity and end race-based disparities in our state. ORGANIZING APPRENTICESHIP PROJECT | 3 REPORT FINDINGS The Legislature received an F Seven of 22 bills that were considered for this report became law; this gives the Legislature an overall grade of F (32 percent). Economic equity bills had greatest success with an 80 percent (4/5) pass rate. Contrarily, none of the civil rights/criminal justice bills passed (0/5). American Indian tribal sovereignty bills had a 33 percent (1/3) pass rate. Districts with explosive growth in people of color have legislators that showed limited support for racial equity bills in economic, civil rights and criminal justice issue areas. Five champions for racial equity bills There were five individual point leaders for racial equity bills. Top point scorers were House Rep. Keith Ellison (D-58B) with 135, House Rep. Karen Clark (D-61A) with 90, House Rep. Neva Walker (D-61B) with 75, House Rep. Jim Davnie (D-62A) with 70 and Senator Linda Higgins (D-58) with 50. The governor received a grade of C- Gov. Tim Pawlenty received a C- overall for his support for racial equity bills. This grade reflects his support for seven of ten bills that reached his desk. The governor received an F (50 percent) in the education section, a B- (80 percent) in economic section and full support for the one health bill and one American Indian bill that reached his desk that was considered for this report. Districts with highest percent of POC scored high in support of racial equity bills Top scorers in districts with more than 50 percent of people of color were House Rep. Keith Ellison (D-58B), House Rep. Joe Mullery (D-58A), House Rep. Karen Clark (D- 61A), House Rep. Neva Walker (D-61B), Senator Sandy Pappas (D-65), Senator Linda Higgins (D-58) and Senator Linda Berglin (D-61). Districts with lowest percent of POC scored lower but show support for racial equity bills Top scorers in districts with less than 10 percent of people of color were House Rep. Dan Dorman(R-27A),