Beltrami county judge hears arguments on state's closing Indian education office

By Clara NiiSka - August 2, 2002
Judge Paul Benshoof, Minnesota 9th District Court judge in Beltrami County, heard testimony and arguments on the closure of the Bemidji office of the Minnesota Indian Scholarship Program on Friday, July 26th.

The Bemidji and Duluth offices were to be closed on June 28th as a cost-cutting measure in the wake of state funding cuts. According to the state Department of Children Families & Learning Commissioner Christine Jax, centralization of Indian Education office operations in Roseville was expected to save the state $200,000 annually.

Indian Affairs Council executive director Joe Day and other members of the Indian establishment responded vigorously to the state's proposed closure of its northern Indian Education offices, and on June 21st the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe filed legal action in state court, seeking to force the state to keep the Indian Education office open. Judge Benshoof issued a temporary restraining order requiring the state to keep the Bemidji office open. The Indian Scholarship office in Duluth had already been closed.

Judge Benshoof held on all-day hearing on July 26th, with nearly twenty witnesses, most of whom were supporters of the Bemidji office.

After extensive testimony, and arguments by Joe Plumer and Frank Bibeau, attorneys for the Leech Lake Band that the Bemidji office improved accountability and Indian students' accessibility to services, Benshoof instructed the Leech Lake attorneys and Steve Liss, attorney for CF&L, to submit written arguments by August 7th.

The services provided by the CF&L are funded by the state, not by tribal governments.