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Analyzing victim services consolidation Shake-up in state crime victim services creates push for separate state Office for the Prevention of Violence Against Women By Rachel Callanan, MN NOW Legislative Coordinator Governor Ventura’s Reorganization Order #182, issued in November 1999, transferred the Minnesota Center for Crime Victim Services (MCCVS) from the Dept. of Corrections (DOC) to the Dept. of Public Safety (DPS). This reorganization has resulted in the silencing of women’s voices in the areas of domestic violence and sexual assault victim services. Charlie Weaver, DPS Commissioner, has restructured the MCCVS, making it more bureaucratic than its formerly grassroots oriented structure under DOC. Among other questionable outcomes of the Reorganization, the most harmful to Minnesota women was DPS’ initial elimination of the legislatively mandated Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advisory Councils. Although these councils were reinstated after intense pressure from battered women’s and sexual assault programs across the state, their powers were greatly reduced thereby taking hard-won control of victim services for women away from the grassroots battered women’s and sexual assault movements that built this office and these councils. Control has been put into the hands of Charlie Weaver and the DPS. Some battered women’s groups, most notably the 10 members of a coalition called the Domestic Violence Legislative Alliance, have decided not to fight the Reorganization Order and work with DPS to implement the reorganization fairly with women’s interests at the fore. This Alliance also has some reservations about the creation of the OPVAW. Articles from both sides of the debate follow this article. MN NOW’s positions: MN NOW’s stated purpose is “to take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men.” Reorganization Order #182 greatly interferes with these goals and the OPVAW advances us towards achieving these goals. MN NOW, through action by the Executive Committee, has adopted the following positions on each of these issues: Reorganization of Victim Services: MN NOW opposes Gov. Ventura’s Reorganization Order #182 insofar as it has circumvented the legislative process and has silenced women’s voices in the leadership and monitoring of victim services in the state. Office for the Prevention of Violence Against Women: MN NOW endorses the creation of a state Office for the Prevention of Violence Against Women (OPVAW) to provide women with one specialized office that gives violence against women top priority, thereby ensuring full participation of Minnesota women in the continued leadership, accountability, and direction of victim services for women. MN NOW’s positions to oppose the Reorganization and to support the creation of the OPVAW do not preclude us from working with the DPS if the Reorganization remains in place. MN NOW, by opposing the Order, is making clear to the Governor and others that women’s voices should not be sacrificed in a push to streamline government and furthermore, the creation of the OPVAW would bolster women’s important grassroots role in the administration of state victim services. Domestic Violence Legislative Alliance “Questions and Answers” on Victim Services consolidation issues 1. What is the Alliance’s position on the Governor’s Reorganization Order 182? The Domestic Violence Legislative Alliance is committed to the fair implementation of Reorganization Order 182. Its members are working with the Department of Public Safety staff to ensure the work of crime victims’ service programs continues without disruption. 2. Does the Alliance support the proposed Violence Against Women office and/or the appointment of a public spokesperson on these issues? The Domestic Violence Legislative Alliance supports any effort to elevate the issues of violence against women and children in the state of Minnesota, provided there is not any duplication of services, mission, or responsibilities. The Alliance, to date, has not reviewed a bill, a proposed structure of such an office, nor the responsibilities of such a spokesperson or an office. 3. Does the Alliance support the consolidation of domestic violence and sexual assault programs into a Violence Against Women office or the creation of a broad-based crime victims’ office? Victims’ services has been reorganized twice in the past two years by both the Carlson and Ventura administrations. While the Alliance certainly supports a more efficient use of state resources, a further consolidation of victims’ services, in the Alliance’s view, must be thoroughly discussed, evaluated, and crafted. Such necessary consideration cannot effectively take place during the 2000 legislative session. 4. If a Violence Against Women Office was created, where should it be located in state government? The location of a Violence Against Women office or a state spokesperson must be considered in the context of victims’ services programming as a whole and cannot be adequately discussed without consideration of the recent reorganization order. 5. In the Alliance’s view, would issues of violence against women he held more accountable with the appointment of a public spokesperson? While the appointment of a public spokesperson may shed much needed attention on violence against women, accountability for these issues must come from many sectors: the legislature, the Governor’s office, state departments, and in each and every one of our communities across the state.