Victims of violence could gain more protections in rental housing agreements
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It may become easier for victims of domestic abuse to break a rental housing lease.
Women’s Economic Security Act passes the House, heads to Senate
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After nearly four hours of debate Wednesday, the House passed the so-called “Women’s Economic Security Act” on a 106-24 vote.
House repasses bill toughening bullying standards
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It has been nearly a year since the House passed the proposed Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act after a highly contentious debate.
Bill to ban anti-gay therapy falls short, supporters plan to push the proposal again next year
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University of Minnesota students led an effort to ban licensed therapists from providing sexual orientation change therapy to children, but their attempt this legislative session fell short.
OPINION | Bridging Y Iskaa Wax Uqabso: A report from the Lyndale Women’s Leadership Program
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In Lyndale, neighbors are from different cultures and speak multiple languages; we do not like to try new things if we can keep our ordinary routines going. The toughest challenge we face, and fear to face, is leaving our comfort zone, speaking a new language, or just putting on others’ shoes for few minutes.
Safe Schools bill passes Minnesota Senate
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The Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act passed the Minnesota Senate on Thursday.After a contentious debate inside and outside the Minnesota Legislature, the bill passed a major hurdle and now heads to the House where the bill passed last year. The House will have to concur with the changes made by the Senate, then the bill heads to Gov. Mark Dayton who has said he will sign it.The bill is a comprehensive plan to tackle bullying in Minnesota’s public schools. It provides a clear definition of bullying, protects all students while listing 19 categories of students often singled out for bullying, creates a school climate center and council to provide up-to-date anti-bullying research to school districts, and focuses on bullying prevention as opposed to punishment.Republicans tried everything to derail the bill. Amendments were offered to delete the current bill and replace it with North Dakota’s anti-bullying law, to strip the bill’s School Climate Center and School Climate Council out of the bill, to allow bullies to confront their accusers, to add a mention of First Amendment rights (already included in the bill), to mandate that parents be contacted before a school refers students to resources, to exempt contact sports from anti-bullying requirements, and to mandate parental notification when a student is accused of bullying other students.Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie proposed an amendment that would have mandated a pilot project in up to 9 schools for several years instead of the anti-bullying law applying to all school districts.None of those amendments were successful.Some changes were made to the bill, however. The bill’s purpose statement was stripped out, which is often done as the bill moves through the process. Continue Reading
COMMUNITY VOICES | Why I support Safe Schools
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When I was a student teacher at Como Park high school in St Paul, I had a transgender student in one of my classes. On my third or fourth day, I was left alone by my supervising teacher. He was not around for most of the remaining weeks I was in his class. It was a challenging time for me. The transgender student was bullied and ridiculed almost immediately when I was left alone. Continue Reading
OPINION | Inaction on gender equity perpetuates poverty
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Most years, the Meta 5 Displaced Homemaker Program helps nearly 200 central Minnesota women transition into jobs outside their homes.
Equity is more than just a buzzword
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Invoking the word “equity” is a lot like talking about Heaven. Everyone likes to describe it, but nobody seems to do what it takes to get there. Or worse yet, the word gets tossed around with no meaning whatsoever. It’s become the trendy thing people have to say they want. And yet I struggle to find any meaningful incorporation of its principles into actual policy. When it does make its way into political decisions, equity seems to be applied only to giant, broad initiatives like raising the minimum wage or anti-bullying legislation. When the word is bandied about at community meetings, it doesn’t seem attached to any specific actions at all. Continue Reading
New Minneapolis NAACP assistant secretary: ‘Be part of the sunshine! Change the system!’
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Farhio Khalif speaks of her life in terms of a “journey,” and what a journey it has been. Khalif ‘s journey began in Somalia and made stops along the way to Minneapolis in Italy; Birmingham, Alabama; Florida; Washington, D.C.; and Virginia Beach, Virginia. She and her two sons arrived in Minneapolis about five years ago. Khalif decided to make the Twin Cities her ultimate destination in order to join its vibrant Somali community.