Sioux City, Iowa (RI) – Leaders in Sioux City may reconsider a plan which drastically reduced the budget for the local human rights commission.
The city council slashed the panel’s budget in February by $140,000, or by more than a third. During a meeting this past April, supporters of the Sioux City Human Rights Commission packed the council chambers. Dan Moore is the mayor pro tem and one of two council members who support fully funding the commission.
Many residents spoke out at the hearing in favor of restoring funding to the commission, which helps to enforce anti-discrimination laws. Mike Goodman was among the backers.
The council voted in April to decide on whether to reinstate the budget for the next fiscal year. The panel’s chair says if the money isn’t reinstated, staff hours will be cut, and some of the most vulnerable in the community will suffer.
