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Minnesota Department of Human Rights briefs committee on civil‑rights history, investigations, contractor portal and budget
Summary
Commissioner Rebecca Lucero described MDHR’s enforcement and prevention work, highlighted high‑profile investigations and consent decrees, outlined a contractor portal and requested a modest operating increase to cover staff and IT costs.
Rebecca Lucero, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, told the House Judiciary and Civil Law Committee that the agency enforces the Minnesota Human Rights Act, investigates discrimination complaints statewide, operates a mediation program and is seeking a modest operating increase to cover rising personnel and IT costs.
"Minnesota legislators first demonstrated their commitment to civil rights when the Minnesota Constitution was ratified," Lucero said during her presentation, tracing state anti‑discrimination laws from the 19th century Equal Accommodation Act through the 1967 statute that created MDHR and later expansions (including protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in 1993 and recent additions for intermittent health conditions in 2024).
Lucero told members that MDHR handles complaints in four main areas—employment, housing, places of public accommodation and schools—and that employment cases make up about half of the…
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