Friends,
Tomorrow, I am holding a town hall discussion on education and local issues at the Inver Glen Library. It should be a great discussion and will give you a chance to ask any questions you may have. Hope to see you there!
Dakota County SMART Center
On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to present my bill to construct the Safety and Mental Health Alternative Response Training (SMART) Center in Inver Grove Heights. Law enforcement and first responders from across the region would use the facility that would also provide a central location for regional resources, such as electronic crime units or drug task forces.
The facility would take the best practices in the areas of health and public safety to create better results in crisis situations. It will have a unique focus on soft skills that so often get overlooked compared to hard skills for law enforcement training.
Just last year, the Public Safety bill included a training requirement making it mandatory for an officer to complete 16 continuing education credits within their three-year licensing cycle. This training would cover crisis intervention and mental health crisis, conflict management and mediation, and recognizing and valuing community diversity and cultural awareness.This center will become a regional hub for just this type of training.
Video of me presenting this bill is available here.
Interview with House Information
Earlier this year, I sat down with nonpartisan House Information Services to preview the upcoming session and talk a bit about my first year in the legislature. Click here or below to watch the quick interview.
In Case You Missed It: Tour around 52B!
Late last summer, we put together a video that highlights some of the great and beautiful parts of District 52B, which encompasses Inver Grove Heights, Sunfish Lake, parts of Mendota Heights and Eagan. I think it turned out very well and am proud to represent such a fantastic place to live. Check out the video here!
On this day in History
In 1959, the iconic toy Barbie made her debut. The first Barbie went on display at the American Toy Fair in New York City.
Rep. Barr met with representatives of the Hwy 23 coalition this week
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas with me. You can schedule a time to meet with me in my office anytime by calling me at 651-296-4192, or share your thoughts by emailing me at rep.regina.barr@house.mn.
Have a great week!
Regina