Approved Minutes — original pdf

Approved Minutes

1 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES MONDAY, September 23, 2019 The Human Rights Commission convened in a regular meeting on Monday, September 23, 2019 at 301 West Second Street in Austin, Texas. Chair Sareta Davis called the Board Meeting to order at 5:35 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Chair Davis, Vice Chair Caballero, Commissioner Breckenridge, Commissioner Garry Brown, Commissioner Casas, Commissioner Griffith, Commissioner Museitif, Commissioner Santana, Commissioner Weigel, and Commissioner White. Staff in Attendance: Monika Arvelo, Assistant Director, Human Resources Department (HRD); Jonathan Babiak, Human Resources Coordinator, HRD 1. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes from the regular meeting of August 26, 2019 were approved on a vote of 6-0: Commissioner Museitif motion, Commissioner Garry Brown second. Voting in favor were Chair Davis, Vice Chair Caballero, Commissioner Garry Brown, Commissioner Casas, Commissioner Griffith, Commissioner Santana, Commissioner Weigel, and Commissioner White. Commissioner Breckenridge and Commissioner Jamarr Brown were absent. 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS Chair Davis reviewed bylaws that address proper decorum. 4. NEW BUSINESS a. Presentation by the City Attorney regarding the Human Rights Commission’s public hearing and appeal processes (Caballero/Weigel). Ann Skowronski, Assistant City Attorney Ann Skowronski, Assistant City Attorney, presented to the Commission and answered questions from the Commission. The Commission discussed this item. The Commission took no action on this item. b. Presentation by the City Attorney on City Code Chapter 5-2, Discrimination in Public Accommodations (Caballero/Weigel). Patricia Link, Assistant City Attorney Patricia Link, Assistant City Attorney presented to the Commission and answered questions from the Commission. The Commission discussed this item. The Commission took no action on this item.  2 c. Consideration, discussion, and possible appropriate action on a letter from the City of Austin Human Rights Commission to the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees in support of their work on creating a new human sexuality curriculum (Garry Brown/Casas). The Commission discussed this item. The Commission took no action on this item. d. Discussion on the decriminalization of homelessness (Caballero/Weigel). The Commission discussed this item. The Commission took no action on this item. e. Discussion on the prevention of homelessness (Caballero/Weigel). The Commission discussed this item. The Commission took no action on this item. f. Discussion regarding the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Act: the prevention and prohibition of discrimination in employment based on reproductive rights, including but not limited to the right to an abortion, the right to utilize in-vitro fertilization, and the right to pregnancy and childbirth outside of marriage (Weigel/Caballero). Amanda Beatriz Williams, Repro Power Austin; Erika Galindo, Repro Power Austin; Aimee Arrambide, Repro Power Austin; Heidi Gerbracht, Repro Power Austin; Emily Martin, Repro Power Austin Emily Martin, Deputy Director, NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, Heidi Gerbracht, Equity Agenda, and Amanda B. Williams, Executive Director, Lilith Fund, addressed the Commission and answered questions from the Commission. The Commission discussed this item. The Commission took no action on this item. 5. OLD BUSINESS a. The Commission discussed the following key priority areas of concern for 2019-2020: i. Institutional Equity ii. Environment & Land Use iii. Health Access & Nutrition iv. Autonomy & Human Rights ADJOURNMENT Chair Davis adjourned the meeting at 7:31 p.m. on unanimous consent.