Dear Neighbor,
It was a condensed week at the legislature this past week as the House did not have any official business on Monday in honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. While the week was shortened, there was still important work that took place.
2015 March for Life
I was honored to join thousands of citizens on the steps of the Capitol to peacefully protest in opposition to our nation’s abortion laws. It was tremendous to stand in unison with others who support life and are committed to protecting the unborn. Sen. Westrom and I hosted a reception for constituent after the event who made the trek down to St. Paul. I enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces.
Governor’s Task Force on Child Protection Releases Initial Recommendations
On Wednesday, the Governor’s Task Force on Child Protection released its recommendations in bringing reform to the state’s child protection systems. This task force was established by the Governor following the tragic case of Eric Dean. Eric was a four year old boy, from the Starbuck area, who was tragically killed by his stepmother as a result of repeated child abuse. The Task Force’s recommendations begin the process of reforming our child protection services and ensure that the safety of the child is the number one priority when investigating allegations of child abuse. I was fortunate to have participated in the press conference that was held on Wednesday along with the members of the Governor’s Task Force. While I do not serve on the Task Force, I was happy to add my thanks for the job the Task Force is doing to help protect Minnesota’s children.
The press conference was covered by various media outlets. Click here to watch a story from the Kare 11 evening news.
In District Meetings
I was able to meet with a number of local businesses and groups back home in the district last week. Some of the groups and individuals I met with include:
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Farmers and the Management team at Denco II and the issues that they are facing as an employer in the agricultural sector
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Officials from the City of Morris to discuss water quality issues and the water purification plant in town
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Stevens County Commissioners and Public Health officials where we discussed a wide variety of issues including mental health, child protection, and the SNAP program
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John Rau, CEO of the Sevens County Medical Center, and I talked about the state’s medical assistance program and how it affects hospitals in our area
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I also attended the annual “Taste of Elegance” event put on by the Minnesota Pork Board. This was a great opportunity to interact with our state’s pork producers and enjoy some great tasting pork products.
Staying Connected
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns regarding a piece of legislation or a state agency. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4929 or via email at rep.jeff.backer@house.mn. You can also connect with me on Facebook by clicking here or on twitter by clicking here. Also, please share this update with friends or family who may be interested in keeping updated on what’s happening in St. Paul. You can subscribe to my email list by visiting my House website.
Sincerely,
Jeff