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Brookings Human Rights Commission Notes
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Community Meeting Room 300, City-County Government Building
Attendance: Hanna Holmquist (chair); Meagan Irvine-Miller (vice chair); Lawrence Novotny, (recorder); Kati Hanson;
Marilyn Hildreth; Jason Meusburger; Wren Murphy (student representative); Matt Rhodes (county representative); Erinn
Thomas; Kas Williams (SDSU liaison); Casey Bell (city human resources technician – staff liaison);
Absent: Penny Hauffe; Marci Gebers (police liaison); Susan Rotert (city human resources director – staff liaison);
Chair Holmquist called the meeting to order at 12:06 pm.
Miller moved, Murphy seconded, to adopt the agenda. Motion passed.
Meusburger moved, Rhodes seconded, to approve the minutes of the November 14 meeting with this correction. Motion
passed. Rhodes has reached out to the Midwest District Office in Chicago of the Federal Commission on Human Rights
to see what commission reps do.
Liaison/EC/Staff Reports:
Williams announced that the SDSU Diversity Office will be holding a safe zone training on Feb 7.
Holmquist received a request from the SDSU Admissions Office for someone to give a presentation to the student
admissions ambassadors on LGBTQ resources available in Brookings. Murphy volunteered to do this.
King Contest
Bell reported that several teachers contacted him with questions. The entry submission deadline is noon on January 10.
Novotny will pick up the posters from Camelot and take them to Allegra to be scanned in. The poster judging will occur
on Friday, January 17 at 11:30 am. Poster judges are Hildreth, Miller, Holmquist, Hauffe, Thomas and Hanson.
The essays will be submitted electronically and will be e-mailed to the judges the afternoon of January 10. The judges
will have until 11:30 am on January 17 to read the essays and score them using the rubric that was developed two years
ago. Essay judges are Novotny, Meusburger, Rhodes, Murphy and Williams.
Bell will check with Mikaela Neubauer about having the posters being displayed at the Brookings Public Library.
Elections
Holmquist moved, Thomas seconded, that Meaghan Miller be elected as chair for 2020. Motion passed.
Holmquist moved, Meusburger seconded, that Matt Rhodes be elected as vice-chair for 2020. Motion passed.
Legislative Report
Novotny moved, Hildreth seconded, that the Brookings Human Rights Commission authorizes Meaghan Miller and
Lawrence Novotny to either submit testimony to our Brookings legislators or to the applicable legislative committees or to
testify in person before the applicable legislative committee on 2020 legislation regarding human rights issues.
Novotny stated that due to the fast pace of the Legislature, it would be difficult to seek BHRC approval on each individual
human rights bill. This motion gives blanket approval. Novotny will monitor the bills and generally draft the testimony
which Miller will submit electronically as BHRC chair. Other members of the BHRC are welcome to also draft
testimony for Miller to submit.
The motion passed.
Bell will check into who is authorized to approved Novotny as a lobbyist for BHRC if needed.
International Outreach Report by Hildreth
The Brookings Multi-Cultural Center hosting a Thanksgiving evening potluck that was attended by around 75 people.
Bienvenidos Brookings is hosting a Christmas party in Flandreau for the Latinx families of Flandreau and Elkton areas on
December 21. Bienvenidos Brookings has purchased gifts for 40 children.
Brookings Multi-Cultural Center will hold a family friendly New Year’s Eve party for the young people from 7 pm – 1
am.
Diversity potluck
Either April 5 or 19 were selected as potential dates for the spring potluck. Bell will check with McCrory Gardens.
Rhodes expressed that he favors holding only one potluck a year instead of two. Members favored having the potluck in
the spring instead of the fall.
High School Diversity Event
The event at which BHRC would have had a booth was originally scheduled for Saturday, December 7 from 2-6 pm. The
event was cancelled after several performance groups had to withdraw. The event will be rescheduled for sometime in
2020.
Social Media
Murphy and Thomas are in charge of posting events on BHRC website and facebook page. Bell stated that December 20
is human solidarity day and wanted to know if this should be posted. Murphy interviewed Chair Holmquist and is
planning on creating a video about the BHRC.
Next meeting Scheduled for Friday, January 17.
Adjourn: Meeting adjourned at 12:48 pm
Submitted by Lawrence Novotny, recorder