Group Plans Legal Challenge to Tim Walz’s Affirmative Action Hiring Policy

Legal Notice to Minnesota Governor Over Employment Policies

The American First Policy Institute (AFPI) issued a legal action notice to Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz on Monday regarding the state’s employment policies, which they claim are discriminatory.

The AFPI describes the plan from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (“Minnesota DHS”) as “positive action,” but argues that it imposes “a higher standard for hiring white men than for other racial groups.” They indicated that if the employment policy is not reversed, legal action could follow.

“This blatant racism by the state is grossly illegal and must be revoked,” the AFPI stated in their notification. They added that they are prepared to support claims that employment opportunities were wrongly denied due to what they argue is an unconstitutional policy in Minnesota.

This notification comes on the heels of an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that an investigation into the Minnesota DHS employment policy is underway, with the new policy set to take effect next month. It requires employment supervisors to justify hiring decisions for non-lower positions, defining “protected groups” to include individuals from various minority backgrounds, such as black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American communities.

“The Minnesota Department of Human Services is not operating within the law,” stated AFPI executive advisor Jessica Hart Steinman. She emphasized that the policy outright discriminates in a way that contradicts both the constitution and Supreme Court precedents. There’s a moral issue with demanding higher standards for white men and prioritizing employment based on race.

Additionally, the AFPI highlighted the Minnesota DHS Affirmative Action Plan, which they noted involved about $8,000 allocated for the implementation of a “positive action” policy that remains in effect today.

According to the AFPI, such policies could expose the DHS to lawsuits from individuals in non-exempt groups who feel they have been overlooked for these supposedly “undervalued” jobs.