Monessen considers Human Relations Commission

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

The City of Monessen might establish its own Human Relations Commission.

But first, city council plans to pass an ordinance that updates its existing laws regarding discrimination. 

Mayor Matt Shorraw said the law was written in the 1950s or 1960s and only covers racial issues. He said Pennsylvania and federal law is vague and has “a lot of holes in it.” 

The Monessen ordinance was fashioned after 16 Pennsylvania municipalities that have adopted similar laws and is meant to close those holes “until the state and federal governments do their job,” Shorraw said.

The ordinance provides for the creation of a human relations commission of up to nine members. Five would have to be from Monessen, but the other four could be from outside the city if they were professionals in related fields.

“The success of this would be determined by (whether) we can find people for this commission,” Shorraw said. “It’s not reactive, it’s proactive. In most situations, if not all, it would be to de-escalate a situation, to ease tensions. It could ease tensions in the city with race or disabilities.”

Shorraw said on the western side of Pennsylvania, Erie and Allegheny counties have adopted similar ordinances along with the City of Pittsburgh and Mt. Lebanon. There are about a dozen other municipalities in the central and eastern part of the state that have done so as well. Some started passing this legislation decades ago.

“I think it would be good to update what we have and try to protect the citizens we have until the state kicks in and fixes (its laws),” Shorraw said.

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