Tim Walz’s first executive order as the Democratic governor of Minnesota was to establish a diversity, equity, and inclusion council for all state government actions, designating himself as the chair. On Tuesday, Walz was selected to be Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
In 2019, Walz told The Associated Press that the “One Minnesota Council on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity” would ensure the “lens of equity” in all state government activities, including recruiting, retaining, and promoting state employees, state government contracting, and civic engagement.
Walz mentioned to reporters that he would chair the council, expanding its scope to include geographic diversity and other considerations, modeled after a similar council formed by former Gov. Mark Dayton. He emphasized that the council’s goal was to ensure all Minnesotans could fully participate in state policy development, applying the “lens of equity” to all state activities, from transportation projects to hiring.
According to the executive order, “Disparities in Minnesota, including those based on race, geography, and economic status, keep our entire state from reaching its full potential. As long as inequities impact Minnesotans’ ability to be successful, we have work to do.”
Walz also established the Governor’s Community Council on Inclusion and Equity to collaborate with the main council in developing a long-range plan to incorporate “anti-racism principles” into every state agency.
The order required every state agency to develop “anti-racist and equitable frameworks,” ensuring state employees understood the importance of ending systemic racism and how their individual work contributes to this goal in state government. That same year, Walz created the role of chief equity officer to further these initiatives.