(The Center Square) – The Tennessee attorney general’s office will keep the 30 positions allocated to the Human Rights Commission when it takes over the commission’s duties on July 1, a spokesman said.
The 62-year-old Human Rights Commission was abolished by a bill passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Bill Lee last week. The change is not expected to have a financial impact on the state as the attorney general can use existing resources, including the funding for positions at the commissions, according to the bill’s fiscal note.
“The Office of the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Enforcement Division is committed to building a strong, qualified team to effectively and efficiently enforce the Tennessee Human Rights Act,” wrote Chad Kubis, a spokesman for Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, in an email to The Center Square. “The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office notified current employees of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission that if they wish to be considered for a position in the Civil Rights Enforcement Division, they may contact the AG’s office to schedule an interview. We hope to engage with many of them throughout the transition.”
Democrats criticized Skrmetti on Monday. House Democratic Leader Karen Camper accused the attorney general of a “breach of trust.” She said Skrmetti promised her that the Human Rights Commission staff would be absorbed into other state agencies.
“There is still time to right this wrong … it is up to you to determine how your legacy as attorney general will be remembered: as one who dismantled a vital institution and misled those trying to protect it – or as someone who corrected course and chose to stand on the side of fairness, truth, and the people of this state,” Camper said.
Rep. Jesse Chism, D-Memphis, who chairs the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators, sent Skrmetti a letter asking for clarification.
“Is it your intention to simply to push aside their collective decades of training and expertise with only a cursory glance at their resumes? If so, does this represent a change in direction of the Human Rights Commission’s mission now that it is under your direction,” Chism wrote in the letter.
The Human Rights Commission will hold its last meeting on Friday.
