The Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to approve an ordinance that adds height, weight, housing status, and “justice-impacted status” to the list of categories that receive civil rights protections in the City of Lakes.
With their unanimous vote on Thursday, the 13 City Council members have sent the ordinance to the desk of Mayor Jacob Frey for his signature. While Frey could veto the proposal, the City Council can easily override any veto with just nine votes. As such, the ordinance appears set to be added to the city’s law books regardless of what the mayor does.
A spokesperson for Frey did not immediately return a request for comment.
Under the newly-passed ordinance, discrimination based on “justice-impacted status” would be banned in educational institutions, professional organizations, employment matters, public accommodations, and property rights issues.
The amendment defines “justice-impacted status” as “the state of having a criminal record or history, including any arrest, charge, conviction, period of incarceration, or past or current probationary status.”
In short, many different organizations and individuals could be forced to ignore a person’s criminal record when dealing with that person.
However, the proposal does have certain exemptions which allow employers and schools to consider how a criminal history could impact job duties. For example, the ordinance allows employers to choose not to hire criminals for positions that involve working with children and positions in law enforcement.
Language banning discrimination based on height, weight, or housing status in educational institutions, employment matters, and other situations is also a part of the ordinance.
At present, Minneapolis’ civil rights ordinance prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, gender identity, and many other categories in various areas. If someone feels they have experienced discrimination, the ordinance allows people to file claims with either the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights or the Minneapolis Commission on Civil Rights.
The addition of height, weight, housing status, and “justice-impacted status” to the list of protected classes means anyone in the city could allege discrimination based on one of those factors, and the city would have to investigate.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
