SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Yesterday, at the State Capitol, Minnesota lawmakers and St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell launched an effort to remove references to slavery and involuntary servitude from the Minnesota Constitution. Despite being banned since statehood was achieved in 1858, the Minnesota Constitution still contains outdated permissive language regarding slavery.
Article I, Section 2 of the Minnesota Constitution reads, in part, “there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the state otherwise than as punishment for a crime of which the party has been convicted.” The proposed amendment would remove the clause “otherwise than as punishment for a crime of which the party has been convicted.”
“Our state constitution should reflect our values. In Minnesota, it’s inappropriate that language mentioning slavery still exists in our constitution, even if it’s narrowly constructed and obsolete,” said Rep. John Lesch (DFL – Saint Paul), chief author of the amendment in the Minnesota House. “While we’ve undoubtedly made progress in expanding civil rights, racial bias remains persistent, and it’s unacceptable that people of color continue to face such significant disparities. By amending our constitution to remove this troublesome language, we have the opportunity to make Minnesota a more inclusive state.” Continue reading “Lawmakers, St. Paul Police Chief Axtell announce effort to remove reference to slavery in Minn. Constitution”