Governor Mark Dayton Championed and Legislature Approved Full Time Funding For MDHR’s St. Cloud Office 

Community Meeting Scheduled for July 18

ST. PAUL, MN – On July 1, additional funding becomes available to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to support its St. Cloud Regional Office. MDHR will host a community meeting at 6 p.m. on July 18 at St. Cloud State University to discuss the future vision and work of the office.

On June 1, Governor Mark Dayton signed legislation to annually fund the Minnesota Department of Human Rights’ Regional Office in St. Cloud. The $180,000 allotment provides for full-time day-to-day operations of the office. 

This past session the Minnesota Legislature passed a Supplemental Budget Bill, which in part provided funding to eliminate racial and economic disparities.  Governor Dayton sought additional funding for MDHR in his 2016 supplemental budget to support the Department’s enforcement efforts, expand MDHR’s outreach activities and provide stable funding MDHR’s regional office in St. Cloud.

“MDHR plays an important role in resolving disputes prior to the involvement of the courts, by fostering meaningful community dialog and by constructively examining systems that lead to disparate outcomes,” said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey.  “MDHR has been receiving input from community leaders since the beginning of the year to develop a vision for the St. Cloud office that can support Central Minnesota.”

Central Minnesota community members will have another opportunity to shape the approach and plans of MDHR’s regional office at the 6 p.m. community meeting on July 18 at St. Cloud University. 

“The St. Cloud Regional Human Rights Office will be an important resource for central Minnesota residents,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. “These permanent new resources will help us accelerate investigations of human rights violations, and support our work to build a more open, welcoming and inclusive community in the St. Cloud area.”

“The additional funding will be very instrumental in supporting the mission of the Department,” said Commissioner Kevin Lindsey. “We would like to thank Governor Dayton for championing this funding and members of the Legislature, including Representative Jim Knoblach, for supporting this critical work. This is an important first step to ensure all Minnesotans have the opportunity to achieve their full potential.”  

Experienced enforcement officers from the St. Paul office will staff the St. Cloud office every other Wednesday to provide intake services, to investigate discrimination complaints, and meet with members of public until an enforcement officer is hired for the St. Cloud office.  Beginning in July, the Department will have student workers hired to expand its presence at community events and meetings in the St. Cloud area.

If you believe you have been discriminated against in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, please contact MDHR’s enforcement unit at 651.539.1100, 1.800.657.3704 or online at mn.gov/mdhr/intake.  There is no fee to file a charge with MDHR. For more information about discrimination or your rights under the MHRA, please visit mn.gov/mdhr or follow the conversation on Twitter at @mnhumanrights. 

Contact: Christine Dufour
651-539-1118 office
Christine.Dufour@state.mn.us