HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/26/1981 Board of Directors Meeting LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS ' ' MEETING
September 26, 1981
Plymouth City Hall
MINUTES
The meeting was called to order at 9 : 25 a.m.
II Present : Thomas Kuster
Brenda Thomas
Gary Palmer
Peter Fischer
Connie McGeorge
Roger Lemmer
Tony Saber
Margaret Barron
Maria Larsen
Jean Richey
Connie Scott
John Grau ,
Tom Johnson
Kathleen Speggen
Barb Kehrberrr
Fern Arpi
Geri Evans
Guests : Julie Klausen, DFL Feminist Caucus
III Approval of Minutes : Kuster moved and Larsen seconded the
approval of the Minutes of the August 15, 1981 Board meeting .
IV. Officers ' Reports :
A. Chairman: Kuster thanked the Directors for attending
and said he looked forward to a busy year . The Chairman
expressed concern over the current political/economic
climate and how cutbacks may affect local Commissions
which City Councils may not want to bud -ret for .
B. Treasurer: Palmer deferred to past Treasurer John Grau
for the financial report :
IV Officers ' Reports (continued) :
B. (continued) Savings account : $1282. 71
Checking account: 1, 014. 68
$2, 297.39
Palmer reported that we will pursue 501 .C3 status
which permits tax exemptions for gifts to the Leanue .
V Old Business :
A. Connie Scott reported on the Board meeting held
August 15-17, 1981 at Mock Island, Lake Vermillion,
Minnesota:
Friday nicrht : arrival
Saturday: election of officers ; discussion and (-coal-
setting.
Sunday: discussed havinn a Winter Piscatorial
(Pis-ca-to' ri-al, (L) a. of fishes , fishermen, or fishinn .
(as in, fishing for ideas ) . Departure.
B. Kuster introduced Julie Klausen of the DFL Feminist
Caucus who reported on the current status of the Equal
Rinhts Amendment . Klausen noted that the ERA has "been
in the works " for nearly a decade. Deadline for rati-
fication is June 1982 . She expressed skepticism over
its passage for two reasons : a well organized opposition;
budnet constraints on ERA advocates . She recommended
that supportincr orcranizations should "go on record" as
supporting the ERA.
Questions and Answers : arron asked why ERA organi-
zations don' t send representatives to women' s
professional nroups (nurses , teachers , etc . ) .
Klausen said they aren' t aware of all the nroups .
Kuster asked if there was a timetable for promotinn ERA
in the unratified states durinn the next nine montns .
Klausen said there was a timetable .
Kuster asked for sunaestions on how the Learrue can in-
fluence the vote in unratified states .
Evans moved, Keirbera seconded, that the League of
Minnesota Human Rir,hts Commissions stands in support
of of the Equal Rinhts Amendment . Motion passed .
V Old Business (continued)
B. continued.
Speggen recommended contacting the human rights
organizations in unratified states .
McGeorge recommended that :
1 . Local commissions "adopt" an unratified state
2 . A list be made available of ERA chapters in un-
ratified states
3 . A list be made available of Human Rights Depart-
ments in all states
4. The above information pbulished in the LMHC News-
letter
Kuster moved, McGeorge seconded, that an ERA Task
Force be formed within the League to study ways to
assist the ERA campaign. Motion passed.
ERA Task Force Members : McGeorge, Chair
Spegcren
Evans
C . Handicapped :
Discussion: Kehberg related an experience in Arden
Hills where a neighborhood group protested the estab-
lishment of a residence for the mentally retarded .
Suggestions : Local commissions should be urged to
support accessibility for the handicapped; support
efforts to establish/monitor handicapped parking
spaces (for stickers ) ; co-sponsor activities promoting '
handicapped issues ; monitor backlash in schools/
community, i .e. , complaints that handicapped rights
are an infringement of others ' rights .
The League will publish in a future Newsletter informa-
tion on how to obtain a handicapped sticker; will
obtain information on how to get funding for accessi-
bility modifications in buildings (contact person:
Ken Frazell, Coon Rapids City Hall) .
l
V Old Business (continued)
D. Rollbacks in Votincr Rirrhts Act, Title IX, etc.
Discussion: Evans recommended establishinrr contact
with existincr rrroups already workinrr on these issues
(contact person: Earl Craic, Director, Minneapolis
Urban Coalition re. low income housinr,) .
Kuster surrrrested that the Lear_rue formulate a system
for monitorinrr compliance with affirmative action
at local level .
Kehrberrr said that local Commissions can contact their
District Bar Association to cret information on lenal
aid in their communities .
ADJOURNED FOR LUNCH AT 12 : 00 p.m. RE-CONVENED AT 2: 00
V Old Business (continued)
E . Thomas polled Board members on how many Commissions have
received no fault crreivance referrals from the Minnesota
Department of Human Ricrhts . Four (out of ten Commissions
represented) have received one or more referrals .
F. Hirrh School Education Packet : Kuster distributed the
Education Packet he compiled, and showed the accompany-
inrr transparencies .
Discussion: Packets and transparencies will be made
available to local Commissioners for use in their com-
munities .
The Board commended Kuster for the excellence of the
material .
Distribution of transparencies (4 sets ) :
#104 - Evans
#102 - Saber
#105 - Lemmer
#105 - Kehrberrr
V Old Business (continued)
G. Recruiting new Commissions
Suggestions : Kuster--Zero in on those who attended
annual meetincr whose Commissions are not members of
the League .
Palmer--Recruit within Districts .
Larsen--League District Directors and Directors
should work as team to recruit non-member Commissions
within their Districts .
Lemmer--Pomote the formation of Commissions where
they don' t exist.
Kuster moved, Thomas seconded, that a Task Force on
Recruitment be formed. Motion passed .
Recruitment Task Force: Barron, Cottage Grove
Larsen, Maplewood
Richey, Robbinsdale
Saber, South St . Paul
H. League Brochure
Kuster distributed sample of a League brochure which he
designed. The Board commended Kuster on the excellence
of his brochure .
Thomas moved, Larsen seconded, that Evans and Palmer
edit brochure and arranne for printin-r . Motion passed .
I . By-Law Changes
Kehrbern reviewed possible channes :
1 . Dues should be payable before Annual Meetino,
2 . What is the necessity/advantane of one-year and
two-year terms for Directors?
3 . By-Laws require a business office .
Following discussion, Kuster recommended that the Board
defer action on By-Laws until the January 1982 Board
meeting .
V Old Business (continued)
.... J. Other
Evans recommended that a calendar be compiled of
Learrue activities . It was sur•rrested that the News-
letter be put to use.
VI New Business
A. Newsletter : No discussion in Birch' s absence .
B. "Housekeepinrr"
1. MailinrY Address and phone: Evans will explore the
possibility of sharinrr an answerincr service with
other orcranizations .
Palmer will invite his city hall to serve as our
mailinrr address and phone contact.
2 . Stationery: Palmer produced a sample letterhead
lorxo.
Kuster moved, Richey seconded, that Palmer ' s Lorro
be used on the new Learrue stationery. Motion passed .
Palmer and Evans will arrancre for printinrr of sta-
tionery alonrr with the new brochure.
C. Other
Kuster, Thomas seconded, that appreciation be expressed
for last year ' s Learrue officers . Motion passed.
VII The next meetincr will be held October 31, 1981 at 9 : 00 a.m.
in the Roseville City Hall.
VIII Meetinrr adjourned at 3 : 15 p.m.
Brenda Thomas , Secretary
League of HR Commissions - Board Meeting - September 26 , 1981
Formal minutes of the meeting will be duplicated for MHRC.
Highlights . . . .
ERA - Speaker Julie Klausen - DFL Feminist Caucus . States that
have ratified have adopted a sister state. E .G. Minnesota has
adopted Georgia . Work thru sister organizations . Rights wingers
have been major force behind lack of support for amendment. Have
access to monies that ERA advocates do not have . Incidentally,
the states that are dragging their feet are also the ones that
were the most reluctant to act on the right to vote . ERA is
still tied to highly emotional issues . Task Force was formed
to work with Illinois, Virginia and Missouri. Contact sibling
organizations both as a League and as local HR commissions.
October issue of Newsletter will give us details on how we can
do this . Will be November agenda topic for MHRC. As an indi-
vidual or member of an organization that supports ERA, write,
call , phone, volunteer, contribute . There are many Minnesota
organizations that would welcome your help. Julie can be
reached at 296-5665 .
Year of the Handicapped What have we done as a local commission
to support our handicapped citizens? What can we do? Lots of
things. Check our local ordinances . What about the accessibility
of our private business? Make up a list of service oriented
firms, good and bad, and make it accessible to our handicapped
citizenry . Watch the mainstream backlash in our school district.
Do handicapped residents know what their rights are? If not,
what can we do about it? Does our school district still have
a Sex Equality Committee? Other HR Committee? (they did) .
PBS had tapes on many subjects that can be used for education.
If the trend is toward volunteerism, can the League help the
work of the local commissions?
Legal Aid Compliance is being shifted from the federal to the
state level and from the state level to the community level .
Could the commissions act as referral services? Failing that,
could a task force or committee be used as a referral or
resource service? How can we make sure that our citizens have
recourse to necessary legal aid? Set up standards? We would
have to set up access standards . The Minnesota Bar Assn has
a special bureau in each District for monitoring and controlling
compliance . What areas do we feel will be most affected by
funding cut back? Watchdog. More in the League minutes and
Newsletter.
High School Education Packet on HRs Act. Local commissions
to discuss, amend, and use in final form.
Page 2
League Membership: How to increase . Task force formed.
Chairs of South St. Paul , Cottage Grove , Robbinsdale , Maplewood.
Role of the district representation will be discussed at that
level .
Interesting, all day meeting .
At least three of these items should be made part of November
agenda.
Maria Larsen