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Home My WebLink AboutHRC Work Session Agenda 11 4 2024If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate in this meeting please contact Human Rights Coordinator, Stefanie Bowers, at 319-356-5022 or at stefanie-bowers@iowa-city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. AGENDA Human Rights Commission Monday, November 4, 2024 Work Session – 5:30 PM Meeting Room B at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center 220 South Gilbert Street 1.Approve Minutes from October 15, 2024 Work Session. 2.Select a date for the regular November monthly meeting. 3.Recommend proposing that the City Council adopt an “All Are Welcome” resolution to promote inclusivity, diversity, and unity within our community. 4.Strategic Planning. (The Commission will not seek or receive public comment.) 1 Draft Minutes Human Rights Commission (Special Meeting) October 15, 2024 Meeting Room B, Robert A. Lee Recreational Center Commissioners present: Idriss Abdullahi, Jahnavi Pandya, Mark Pries, Vianna Qaduora, Elizabeth Mendez Shannon. Commissioners absent: Roger Lusala, Doug Kollasch, Kelsey Paul Shantz. Staff present: Stefanie Bowers. Others present: Jennifer Horn-Frasier. Meeting called to order: 5:46 PM. Introductions: Commissioners interviewed one another and then introduced them to the rest of the group. •Their name, organization, and role •A favorite aspect of living in Iowa City •One reason they wanted to join the Iowa City Human Rights Commission Pries was paired with staff. Pandya was paired with Abdullahi. Mendez Shannon and Qaduora were paired together. Horn Frasier gave an overview of Strategic Doing Principles: •What is Strategic Doing, and how might it be useful to the Commission? •Reviewed the survey results (in packet of 10/15/24). •Brief discussion on learning and insights. Commissioners provided input for staff on the following items: •Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Grant Program. •Onboarding new members of the ICHRC. •Increasing the visibility of the ICHRC. Horn Frasier discussed the Framing Question: The framing question from the previous strategic planning process was this: Imagine that, by its 65th anniversary [2028], the Iowa City Human Rights Commission is the hub of a robust, local human rights network. Discussion: •Ideas for new framing question. •Envisioning the Future: WHAT We Are Working on to Bring to Life in the Next 3-5 Years. 2 At the next work session (11/04/24), Commissioners will prioritize outcomes and key areas of work this will include: •Articulating the key areas of work that will likely be needed to bring the envisioned future to life •Voting for the two they believe will have the greatest impact •Identifying the top vote-getters Adjourned: 8:17 PM Human Rights Commission ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2024 (Meeting Date) NAME TERM EXP. 1/23 2/27 3/4 3/26 4/23 5/28 7/23 8/27 9/24 10/15 11/26 12/24 Jahnavi Pandya 2024 X X X X X X X X A P Anya Shafer-Van Houtte 2024 - - - - - - - A R R Doug Kollasch 2024 X X X X X X Z X X A Viana Qadoura 2025 X X X X X X X X X P Idriss Abdullahi 2025 - - - - X Z X Z A P Mark Pries 2025 X A X X X X X X X P Roger Lusala 2026 X X X A X X X X X A Kelsey Paul Shantz 2026 X X X X Z X X A X A Liz Mendez-Shannon 2026 X X X A Z X X A X P KEY: X = Present A = Absent Z = Present via Zoom All Are Welcome in Iowa Resolution Declaring All Are Welcome in Iowa City Whereas, equal rights under the law and liberty for all is foundational to our nation and government; and Whereas, the Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self- evident, that all [people] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”; and Whereas, the Iowa state motto states, “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain”; and Whereas, the Iowa Civil Rights Act passed in 1965 and amended in 2007 includes employment, housing, public accommodations, education, and credit considerations as areas of life that cannot be used for discrimination based on a person's color, creed, gender identity, marital status, national origin, disability, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation; and Whereas, many Iowans are experiencing anger and fear due to several discriminatory laws passed in 2023 and 2024 by the Iowa Legislature and signed by the Governor including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA); and Whereas, RFRA codifies religious exemptions allowing individuals to use religious beliefs as legal justification to discriminate against other Iowans who are then deprived of their rights and liberties; and Whereas, discrimination and inequality erode the founding principles of our society and government; and Whereas, equal rights under the law and liberty for all require that anti-discrimination protections be considered a compelling government interest and the least restrictive means of achieving that interest. A religious liberty claim should not be elevated above or overrule by law other equally important rights and liberties; and Whereas, no person should be allowed to use religion, religious freedom, or any other reason as justification to discriminate against another person based on color, creed, gender identity, marital status, national origin, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, reproductive status, violence survivor status; and Whereas, Iowans are leaving our communities and the state due to the dangers of RFRA and other oppressive and discriminatory laws passed by Iowa lawmakers that send a message betraying our state’s motto and the promise that All Are Welcome in Iowa; and Whereas, the oppressive and discriminatory laws, including RFRA, passed by the Iowa Legislature and signed by the Governor harm the reputation of our state and the best interests of its business community as well as cities and counties large and small, urban and rural. Therefore, be it resolved, Iowa City is committed to promoting a united vision where All Are Welcome in Iowa City and further commits Iowa City to being a discrimination-free community. Be it further resolved, Iowa City encourages businesses, housing developments and landlords, non-profit organizations, houses of worship, educational institutions, and neighborhood associations to unite in the message that All Are Welcome in Iowa City and declare themselves as a discrimination-free partner. Be it further resolved, Iowa City declares it will only enforce the Iowa Religious Freedom Restoration Act in a way that treats all federal, state, and local anti-discrimination protections as a compelling government interest. Iowa City will apply equal protection to those who reside in or visit Iowa City so that all may be free from discrimination in our community and in the great state of Iowa.