Bill From Mendota Heights Rep. Declares Racism A Health Crisis

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN — A bill authored by Rep. Ruth Richardson of Mendota Heights would declare racism a public health crisis. The resolution passed committee last week, and a final vote in the House is set for Monday.

The resolution promises that the Minnesota House will work to dismantle racism. It creates a committee that will analyze legislation through an "intersectional lens of race equity."

"Black, Indigenous, and people of color have known for generations that the systems in this country were designed to exclude them," Richardson said in a news release. "The devastation we are seeing in our communities today is the result of those systems playing out for hundreds of years."

The resolution comes after global protests demanding racial justice that were sparked by the death of George Floyd.

"The Minnesota House as an institution can and should play an active role in dismantling systems that have denied dignity, respect, and compassion to so many," House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler said.

"Our nation is facing a historic moment and the Minnesota House plans to be on the side of justice and human rights."

Read the resolution here.