Equity & Justice (MN Governor's Race)

One of the best known sentences in the English language is, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It comes from the preamble of the Declaration of Independence which was adopted on July 4, 1776. This is the moral standard to which the United States should strive. This was the foundation for the political philosophy of Abraham Lincoln and the lens to which he interpreted the United States Constitution. This is what we celebrate on the 4th of July.

And yet, here we are 242 later, and while Minnesota iis a pretty great place to live for a lot of people, it is not equitable for all. All men are not treated as though they are created equal. All men do not experience and equitable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There remains a lack of equity for those of non-white racial backgrounds, indigenous people, women, the LGBT community, and the disabled. Here is some background and statistics on each.


Racial & Indigenous Inequity
Minnesota is ranked 2nd worst in the country for racial equality. Let that sink in for a moment. The second worst. The only state in the whole country that has more racial inequality is, wait for it, Wisconsin. The median household income for black people in Minnesota is $30,306 while the median household income for white people is $66,979. In 2017, the unemployment rate for white people was 3.0% while the unemployment rate for black people was 8.8%. Minnesota ranks 47th in the unemployment gap between white and non-white residents and 44th for the racial gap for wealth.

76% of white Minnesotans own homes compared with 21.7% of black Minnesotans. 111 out of every 100,000 white people are incarcerated compared with 1,219 out of every 100,000 black people. This means that black Minnesotans are 10 times more likely to end up in prison than white Minnesotans. As noted in my cannabis post, marijuana arrests and incarcerations disproportionately affect people of color despite the fact that 5 times as many whites are using drugs as blacks. Nationally, blacks are sent to prison for drug offenses at a rate of 10 times the rate of whites. African American serve nearly as much time in prison for non-violent drug offenses (58.7 months) as whites do for violent offenses (61.7 months). In Minnesota, blacks are 6.4 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites.

Race relations experts tie all of these statistics together. “If [African Americans living near the poverty line] do have employment, it pays a very low wage. You are a renter at best,” said Keith Mayes, associate professor of African American Studies at the University of Minnesota. “And then if you are thoroughly outside of the labor market and participating in the underground economy [selling drugs, sex] then you may end up in jail.”

And, as great is education is in our state, in 2017, the Minnesota Department of Education reported that twice as many white students met the standards for reading math than black students in grades 3-8 and 10th grade.

Minnesota is home to 11 tribal nations. Nationally, wages are lower for Native Americans, poverty is higher, education achievement is lower, and drug abuse is higher. Minnesota has major health inequities between its white and non-white communities.

Gender Equity
Women comprise 51.2% of the Minnesota workforce. Yet, full-time female workers make less than their male counterparts. Minnesota women earn only 84% of what men make on an hourly basis.

LGBTQ+ Equity
So much progress has been made for the gay & lesbian community in Minnesota, especially with being the first state to vote down a marriage amendment, and then with the passage of marriage equality ahead of it being legalized federally. But, there is still a long way to go for the transgender community especially in light of “bathroom bills” around the country and the president’s rhetoric on transgender troops in serving in the military.

Disability Equity
10.5% of Minnesotans have a disability. Despite federal laws requiring accessibility, many parts of our community are often inaccessible to people with disabilities.

Here is where the candidates stand on issues of equity:

Jeff Johnson (R): Candidate Johnson does not address any of these issues on his website. I couldn’t find anything addressing his views on race inequality, the gender pay gap, or disability rights. In 2013, Johnson said of gay marriage, “Here’s where I am. I support traditional marriage and I think it should be the law in Minnesota, so I do not support gay marriage. But I also believe that any couple should be allowed to enter into contractual unions that allow for certain rights like hospital visitation or inheritance rights or end-of-life decisions, things like that. Regardless of what issues like this are before me as governor, I’m not going to be focusing on it. I just believe the governor should be focused on issues of the budget and education because that’s what most of the people of Minnesota want us to work on.”

Erin Murphy (D): (Race/Indigenous) Candidate Murphy thinks we can tackle health disparities among communities of color. She wants to close the opportunity gap by investing in Pre-K & early learning, providing home visits, and hiring teachers of color. She supports cannabis legislation including record expungement, releasing non-violent offenders and supporting them as the transfer out of the criminal justice system. She wants to restore the right to vote for those who have served their time for felony convictions. (Gender) She supports legislation to close the pay gap. She believes in policies that require affirmative consent, enhanced education, and action against sexual harassment and violence in order to change the culture. She wants to ensure that all women have access to affordable health care, contraception, and abortion services. (LGBTQ+) She’ll work to streamline the process required to change one’s gender on official identification cards. She’ll work to ensure trans Minnesotans get access to the health care they need through their insurance. She opposes conversion therapy and bathroom bills. (Disability) She wants to ensure that everything from public transit to sidewalks to restaurants and malls are fully accessible. She’ll fight to ensure that people with disabilities have the care they require. She will invest in the services and affordable housing options needed to ensure that people with disabilities are fully integrated in their schools, workplaces, and communities, and able to live independently for as long as they choose.

Tim Pawlenty (R): Candidate Pawlenty does not address any of these issues on his website. I could not find anything on his views on race inequality. In 2014, concerning the gender pay gap, he said, "I'm the father of two daughters, and I want them to fully see and embrace the American dream. So we all need to work on making sure there isn't a glass ceiling, and if there is one, we need to make sure it's busted, broken, shattered." According to a 2011 article, he opposed recognition of same-sex unions, supported Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, vetoed a bill granting end-of-life rights to same-sex couples, vetoed an anti-bullying bill that added protections for sexual orientation and gender identity, and vetoed a bill to allow local municipalities to offer domestic partner benefits. In April of this year, he was the keynote at the Minnesota Family Council’s annual dinner. The Minnesota Family Council lobbies against rights for LGBTQ+ Minnesotans. In June 2018, he told WCCO Sunday Morning that he thinks the biblical definition of marriage is between one man and one woman, but the civil law has been decided and there’s no going back from that.

Tim Walz (D): (Race/Indigenous) Candidate Walz will ensure that people of color have equitable access to positions in state government so that the government is more reflective of Minnesota. If elected, Peggy Flanagan will be the highest ranking Native American woman in the history of the United States as Lieutenant Governor. He supports investing in programs that will hire more teachers of color as well as investing in improving access to childcare, families that want to combat the opioid epidemic, and ensuring that health care providers are providing culturally competent care. When Minnesota has a budget surplus, he believes in investing in targeted job creating programs in communities of color and indigenous communities. He is in favor of creating a taxation and regulation system for adult-use cannabis and supports outlawing private prisons in Minnesota. He will honor treaty rights in Minnesota and consult with tribal governments on the front end of decision making. He will invest in Dakota and Ojibwe language immersion programs. He will ensure history and culture of Native people is included in the K-12 education system. He will support and fund adult education programs and career skill development for Native adults. And, he supports tuition waivers for Native American students in higher education with a priority for future educators. He will provide funds to expand culturally competent long-term treatment programs to combat the opioid crisis. He acknowledges and will work to heal multi-generational and historic trauma. He will educate those who work with Native families on these traumas and their increased vulnerability. He will fund public housing, food stability, and supportive assistance programs and work with tribes to create stable family networks. He will commit to addressing systemic racism and implicit bias in state agencies. He will reduce barriers for Native families to take custody of their relatives. (LGBTQ+) He will stand against “bathroom bills” and ban conversion therapy. He will build on the work of the anti-bullying bill passed during the 2014 legislative session.