Dear Neighbors,
Earlier today, House DFL Leader Paul Thissen, Rep. Phyllis Kahn and I announced an initiative to combat terrorist recruitment in Minnesota with a $2 million investment in community-based programs. This will build on efforts from last session and will improve some programs already up and running to help stem the tide of terrorist recruitment in our communities.
You may have seen an investigative report by KSTP- TV last week which showed a woefully inadequate commitment from the federal government to fight this recruitment. Andy Luger, U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, has called for $5 million annually to successfully fight recruitment in the Twin Cities, but so far Minnesota has only seen $216,000. With Minnesota’s establishment as a prime recruiting target for groups such as ISIS and al-Shabab, doing so little is unacceptable. Last year, $250,000 in state funding was allocated for this purpose, but greater investment is needed to maximize the potential of this effort.
Undoubtedly, federal agencies and local law enforcement are crucial to stopping terror recruitment and the unfortunate consequences which often result. We can, however, make a great deal of progress in combating this right here in our communities by taking positive actions such as implementing youth programming, providing scholarships, and increasing job opportunities. This will require continued partnership between policymakers, nonprofit groups, the business community, and government agencies. I’m hopeful we can attain the goal of stopping terror recruitment locally, and I’m committed to working toward this.
With our state’s $1 billion surplus, there is no reason why we shouldn’t make a commitment to help at risk youth and to improve opportunities for them. This is an opportunity for us to work together to stop terrorist recruitment in our communities and lift up youth by providing them opportunities to succeed.
Sincerely,
Yvonne Selcer
State Representative