Ewald at the Capitol/October 2

Racial Justice Committee

The Minnesota House began a series of hearings for the newly formed Select Committee on Racial Justice last week. The committee will review areas where disparities have been shown to occur in the state, such as education, health, housing, and public safety. All hearings will be informational. No action can be taken since the Legislature is not in session.

So far, the committee has learned about maternal-child health mortality, maternal-child morbidity and Black reproductive health. Next week, the committee will cover historical racial trauma.

Revenue Commissioner Leaving

Minnesota’s longest serving Department of Revenue commissioner, Cynthia Bauerly, will leave her position on Oct. 9. Commissioner Bauerly was first appointed by Gov. Dayton in 2015.

Commissioner Bauerly’s accomplishments during her tenure are cited as improving taxpayer outreach efforts, providing relief to Minnesotans during COVID-19 and working to preserve the Health Care Access Fund. The Commissioner of the Department of Revenue oversees the collection of roughly $25.2 billion annually and manages over 30 different types of taxes.