Find ways to stop an epidemic of violence against Native women — that’s the assignment for a special task force established by the Minnesota Legislature that has its first meeting today (9am-4pm) in Saint Paul. Representative Mary Kunesh-Podein, a Democrat from New Brighton, is helping spearhead the effort that brings together people from a variety of backgrounds. “I’m going to really count on some of the members who work directly with the community, especially community women who have been victims and survivors,” she says. “I think the heart of the matter is the historic violence against our Native communities, and why it has taken 400 years to address it.”
Governor Tim Walz will do a ceremonial re-signing this morning of the bill setting up the task force to spotlight the group’s efforts.
The task force will have a December meeting in northeast Minnesota, travel to northwestern Minnesota in March, then to southwest Minnesota in August of 2020.