Testimony on Senate Bill 2413 (Human Rights Commission)

To: Senate Judiciary Committee
From: Christopher T. Dodson, Executive Director
Subject: Senate Bill 2413 (Human Rights Commission)
Date: February 9, 1999

The North Dakota Catholic Conference supports Senate Bill 2413.

Every person is made in the image of God. As such, each person possesses an inherent dignity that cannot be taken away and does not depend upon what the person does or who they are. Respect for this dignity demands that basic human rights be respected by all. Indeed, the primary purpose of government is to protect and respect human dignity by insisting that the human rights of all be protected, especially the rights of the most vulnerable and less power among us. If government fails in this regard, it fails to meet its most important moral obligation.

This, presumably, is the premise behind the North Dakota Human Rights Act. However, as testified to on many occasions, the mere passage of the Human Rights Act is not enough to ensure that human rights are actually protected. The state's obligation does not rest solely or even primarily on enforcing laws against discrimination. Government has the duty to assist in the creation of a positive, proactive, environment where discrimination does not occur. This is why we need a human rights commission. This is why virtually every state has a human rights commission.

This is not the first attempt at creating a human rights commission and we can anticipate some of the opposing arguments. We may hear that it is too costly, could hurt economic growth, and could increase civil rights litigation. We must, however, remember that the economy exists to serve persons -- all persons. People do not exist to serve the economy. Any economic system that accepts the denial of human rights for the sake of the economy is morally flawed. There is no moral justification for accepting discrimination, no matter how much occurs, because of fear of lawsuits or the alleged effects on the economy.

Thank you for your consideration. We urge a Do Pass recommendation.