A Bluestem Prairie

Walz brings DOJ grant process to Waxman's attention

Government Executive staff writer Peter Cohn reports on an investigation into the way the Department of  Justice picked winner and losers in  Justice Department grant process gets Waxman's attention. It's an interesting look at the question of earmarks. Would government agencies make better choices about spending than representatives and senators?

Here are the details:

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is investigating how a Justice Department agency awarded grants in fiscal 2007, when most federal agencies operated with a freer hand under the yearlong earmark moratorium Democrats imposed.

Waxman wrote to Attorney General Michael Mukasey March 13 requesting a briefing no later than Friday -- and related documents by April 4 -- in response to reports that the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded noncompetitive grants in fiscal 2007 to less-qualified applicants.

Citing a recent investigation by the trade publication Youth Today, Waxman noted that in fiscal 2007 the the office awarded a $500,000 grant to the World Golf Foundation, even though its application was ranked lower than 38 other bids in a review done by career Justice Department officials. . . .

. . .Waxman said the situation was brought to light by Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., a freshman who complained that a worthy applicant in his district was unfairly shut out of the grant-making process in fiscal 2007. An aide to Walz said his interest was piqued when OJJDP ignored a request to direct money to the National Child Protection Training Center at Winona State University, even though it ranked fourth out of more than 100 applicants in the agency's review.

The center trains social workers, teachers, nurses, police officers and others to detect and respond to signs of child abuse. The funding was dropped when the OJJDP administrator made the final decisions. Walz and other Minnesota lawmakers successfully restored about $1.2 million for the center in the fiscal 2008 omnibus appropriations bill, including $446,000 funded through OJJDP. . . .

We make no secret of the fact that we're a big fan of the WSU-based National Child Protection Training Center. Congressman Walz worked with Senators Coleman and Klobuchar to get their earmarks funded for this highly respected program. It's incredible that a bureaucrat would pick a lower-rated program over the NCPTC's work to protect kids.

Waxman has requested documents related to the grant-making process as his committee moves to investigate the situation.

At News Cut, we find Higher ed earmarks explored by blogger Bob Collins. Collins points out that the negative tone of the report he's reviewing; however, he recommends lassessing the actual grants themselves.

The National Child Protection Training Center's earmarks are among the seven requested by Walz. Here's the list of Walz's higher ed earmarks.  We're struck by the fact that all but one (for the Hormel Institute, a cancer research center) enjoy bipartisan support. When the GOP contenders for endorsement in the First decry earmarks, do they include Senator Coleman in their scolding of Congressman Walz?

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System Office		Education	$1,099,451	for a program for rapid employment services for veterans	Rep. Walz (D.) Rep. Peterson (D) Sen. Klobuchar (D) Sen. Coleman (R)
Minnesota State University at Mankato		Energy	$492,000 shared	to be shared with Minnesota West Community and Technical College, for cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel research at the Minnesota Center for Renewable Energy	Rep. Walz (D) Sen. Coleman (R.) Sen. Klobuchar (D)
Minnesota West Community and Technical College		Energy	$492,000 shared	to be shared with Minnesota State University at Mankato, for cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel research at  the Minnesota Center for Renewable Energy	Rep. Walz (D) Sen. Coleman (R.) Sen. Klobuchar (D)
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities		Agriculture	$219,453	for the Uniform Farm Management Program at the Center for Farm Financial Management	Rep. Emerson (R, Mo.) Rep. Walz (D) Sen. Coleman (R) Sen. Klobuchar (D)
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities		Health and Human Services	$406,767	for facilities and equipment for the Hormel Institute's cancer research	Rep. Walz (D.)
Winona State University		Justice	$775,500	for training, technical assistance, and publications at the National Child Protection Training Center	Rep. Walz (D) Rep. Oberstar (D) Sen. Coleman (R) Sen. Klobuchar (D)
Winona State University		Justice	$446,500	to teach investigators and prosecutors the science of interviewing children victimized by abuse	Sen. Coleman (R) Sen. Klobuchar (D) Rep. Walz (D) Rep. Oberstar (D)

Update: As if on cue, Rochester Post Bulletin columnist (and Randy Demmer contributor) Philip Araoz goes after Walz on pork.  See if you can figure out why the conservative physician mentions all those state projects in order to trash the Congressman, rather than bringing up any earmarks Walz sponsored.

Walz & gun rights: Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Heller today

The Washington Post and other media have noted that the Supreme Court  was to hear oral arguments in District of Columbia v. Heller today.

Congressman Walz is a supporter of gun rights. Back in February, we noted his position on Heller:

"Now the Star Tribune reports in Controversial gun law is now a target that Walz, along with rural DFL congressmen Peterson and Oberstar, have signed on to a friend-of-the-court brief in the case of District of Columbia (D.C.) and Mayor Adrian Fenty v. Dick Anthony Heller. While many of our progressive friends disagree, we too support gun rights."

Those who want to learn more about the case and today's hearings should check out this site, which provides links to audio feed of the arguments and other resources. Court will probably not issue its decision for three months.

Operation Byrne blitz: drug task force funds to dry up?

Ever since the 1930s, when the FBI issued the names and ranked the public enemies it was pursuing (precursor to the Most Wanted Fugitives List launched in 1949), public relations has been part of law enforcement, particularly so in tough economic times and tightened budgets.

In Narcotics task force funding slashed, we learn about a one-day enforcement effort aimed at highlighting the importance of federal Byrne Grants for funding drug task forces in Southeast Minnesota:

"A national narcotics task force grant cut by 67 percent this year led to a multi-state blitz Wednesday aimed at showcasing the vital role funding plays in concentrated drug enforcement efforts. “If we lost our funding or a significant portion it is going to make it hard to continue to do the work that we are going,” Austin Police Chief Paul Philipp said.

“Operation Byrne Blitz,” named for the affected federal grant, yielded 172 arrests, 57 search warrants, 3.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.5 pounds of cocaine, 23 pounds of marijuana, 43 guns, 12 vehicles and $39,618 in cash statewide, according to a press release from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

The Southeast Minnesota Narcotics Task Force focused on Austin, executing four search warrants that resulted in pending charges for five individuals, Olmsted County Sheriff’s Captain Bill Reiland said. The amount of methamphetamine seized has a street value of $10,000, he said."

The Star Tribune reported that statewide the Operation Byrne Blitz drug sweep nets 172 arrests:

Law enforcement also encountered 20 endangered children during the operation and referred them to local authorities

“Operation Byrne Blitz illustrates the value of regional, consolidated drug enforcement efforts,” said Public Safety Commissioner Michael Campion, who is a former narcotics agent. “Drug  trafficking operations often cross traditional jurisdictional boundaries, and when agencies work together to devote resources to catching traffickers, that makes Minnesota safer.”

The Bryne grants were cut by Congress at the urging of the Bush administration, which wants to eliminate the programs entirely and shift the money from domestic police work to fighting terrorism.  Congressman Walz is one of 91 co-sponsors of H.R. 5180, which would use emergency appropriations to restore the grant program, along with Minnesota Representatives Ellison, McCollum, and Ramstad.

The Austin Herald article noted the measure:

Bushman said U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, DFL-Iowa, has introduced legislation to boost funding by $490 million if a supplemental budget is passed this year.

“We are hoping some of the funding will be restored,” Philipp wrote in an e-mail. “Rep. Walz feels that it is still possible to restore some of the cuts.”

Philipp recently met with U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, DFL-Minnesota, about the grant funding, which would likely dry up if the bill fails.

 

Six months ago: the status of towns flooded in August

Judging from the news, it's a day for reflection and remembrance. The Wetterling family will mark Jacob Wetterling's 30th birthday with prayer and a request that families talk about safety with their children. That's always timely. Jacob, who remains missing, was kidnapped at gunpoint on October 22, 1989. He was 11 years old then.

In southeastern Minnesota, there's a blizzard warning out as the edge of a winter storm touches that corner of the state. The bad weather underscores the Winona Daily News's inventory of post-flood rebuilding efforts. The top story? In Rushford, there is hope for normalcy. 

Others to check out:

• Stockton: There has been progress since flood
• 'It doesn’t look like Minnesota City anymore’
• St. Charles: A time like this brings out the best
• Whitewater State Park’s recovery crucial to Elba
• Goodview changed forever by flood
• Houston: It could have been much worse

A final story, Counting flood damage in dollars and cents looks at the flood's lingering economic impact. Some tidbits:

In October, Winona County officials pegged total recovery costs at $77.85 million. That includes damage to both private property and infrastructure, property buyouts in flood-prone areas, demolition and environmental costs.

Then there are the “hidden” economic costs, like lost productivity for businesses, Grover said. She added that a “trickle-down” effect could harm businesses that weren’t directly affected.

In Rushford, for example, officials say businesses have been quick to re-open, only to struggle in a community that’s still impoverished by the disaster.

The area has received a lot of private and public aid, but one source of funding that helps the cleanup and out-of-work individuals is about to end:

Conversely, the flood also brought an infusion of outside dollars from state, federal and private relief agencies.

The state already has allocated $77 million for flood recovery in seven counties, according to the Department of Employment and Economic Development.

The relief funds are helping revitalize the area’s battered economy, Grover said. But she said the economic losses from the flood are far more evident than the gains.

“I’m not seeing the economic boost on the positive side � mostly, it’s a downturn,” Grover said.

Local residents whose jobs were displaced by flooding also are in danger of losing access to a government program to employ them.

The Winona Workforce Center has enrolled more than 100 participants � including some who were unemployed before the flood � to clean up flood debris, using a National Emergency Grant from the Department of Labor.

But federal guidelines only allow victims to work for an equivalent of six months in full-time hours, or up to a wage cap of $12,000.

Those rules could leave workers unemployed in the coming months, said program director Steve Runkle. Runkle said he’s lobbied Rep. Tim Walz, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Norm Coleman to adjust the federal guidelines.

And meanwhile, potential health threats have been raised with the FEMA trailers.

Monday morning news digest: smorgasbord edition

Lost case led to improved prosecution, the Mankato Free Press article about the National Child Protection Training Center's Victor Vieth's travel to Washington D.C., has been picked up by the Associated Press.It's running throughout the state. One example is this story in the West Central Tribune Minn. child protection center head to attend State of the Union.

It's a great article about one of southern Minnesota's innovative leaders. Vieth will be the guest of Congressman Walz at the SOTU.   Along with Senators Coleman and Klobuchar, Walz helped secured earmarked funding for the National Child Protection Training Center. Vieth has thanked all three from their help for the center, which helps law enforcement, prosecutors, and others identify and respond to child sexual abuse:

Vieth will be in Washington at the invitation of Democratic Rep. Tim Walz, who led the drive for increased funding in the House, while Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Amy Klobuchar pushed it in the Senate.

"Elected officials take a lot of criticism. But the Minnesota delegation has supported this in a bipartisan way," he said. "Preventing child sex abuse isn't something you get elected or re-elected for. Here's an example where our state delegation did something that won't help them politically, but it helps the country."

Walz has been transparent about his earmarks, releasing his list of requests last June. This hasn't stopped Republicans for criticizing him for his requests, so Vieth is right about Walz doing something that won't help him politically.

However, it's unlikely that those GOP candidates who hope to oppose Walz by taking the tack of criticizing Walz's earmarks will get much help beyond spin with this talking point from Republican leadership in Washington.   In the Washington Post blog Capitol Briefing, Ben Pershing reports House GOP Backs Away From Real Earmark Moratorium.

One of the "reforms" that the Republicans cooked up at their weekend retreat was to have lawmakers" "publicly disclose more information on the purpose and justification of earmarks." Looks like Walz has already been there, done that.

This morning's Free Press unfolds the story of another kind of leadership in the Nile Cafe diversifies menu.  Run by Ethiopian refugees, the cafe is adding Mediterranean fare, including gyros, stews and rice dishes to its largely vegetarian Ethiopian offerings.

The restaurant is a symbol of change in the Key City: the Nile operates in the building where the legendary Hilltop Tavern Hamburger Heaven operated and served up the fondly remembered burgers of my youth. It really was hamburger heaven.

The Hilltop Tavern closed several years ago. The property owner says:

Gene Braam, who owns the building and has his accounting business upstairs, said he’s proud of what the Nile has accomplished.

“I’m proud of Mankato to be diverse enough to support a restaurant with a diverse menu. For a city this size to be able to have a restaurant this unique is a tribute to the town,” Braam said.

A local pastor likes the food and atmosphere:

“It’s my favorite place. I’m a vegetarian and I love their food. And they’re a very gracious host and hostess and fascinating people,” Carder said. 

“It’s not just the good food, I like the fact we’re being exposed to different cultures.”

The Sleepy Eye Herald Dispatch reports about how cultural exchange works in more than one direction in Silacayoapam visits Lake Town - Mexican students visit real-life inspiration for American town that six Mexican students stayed in Sleepy Eye as part of an exchange program. Back in August, six Sleepy eye students had traveled to the Mexican town Silacayoapam.

The paper explains:

Last August, six St. Mary's Catholic School students visited Silacayoapam, Mexico, to show what typical American teenagers are like.

This past week, six Mexican students returned the favor, living with host families and attending classes at St. Mary's. The students came Jan. 10, and will stay until Jan. 27.

The adventure began when Gail Bromenschenkel received a grant to teach in the town of Silacayoapam, Mexico, for several months. The teacher exchange was so successful, she decided to see if she could extend it to several students.

The students-Rebecca Joyce, Maci Hertling, Abby Krzmarzick, Samantha Tauer, Matthew Krambeer and Kory Trebesch-went the weeks of July 30 through Aug. 14.

“They went to an area where many people are emigrating to the United States,” said Bromenschenkel. “The semester I was there, 10 out of 47 of my students left within five months. The guys lost interest, and the girls thought they'd never make use of their education.”

“The purpose was to let them see what an average kid is like in a small town, rural area,” said Bromenschenkel. They deliberately avoided the more touristy parts of Mexico to visit the equivalent of a town like Sleepy Eye.

Bromenschenkel wrote it into her grant application that the U.S. students would teach an English-language program for the Mexican students. . . .

Read the rest at the Sleepy Eye paper.

 

Kiester burglars ransack middle school and businesses

A rash of vandalism and break-ins seem to have hit Southern Minnesota of late. This morning's Faribault County Register reports that Wells Juveniles cause more than $5,000 in damage in three break-ins in Kiester, a small town nestled amid glacial moraines.  Two of the boys are students at the middle school they broke into. Deputies were able to catch the youthful miscreants, all under 16, by tracking their footprints in the snow.

Early afternoon news digest: law and order edition

In the Mankato Free Press, Lost case led to improved prosecution tells the back story about the National Child Protection Training Center's Victor Vieth, who will be Congressman Walz's guest at the SOTU address. Seems like Vieth's expertise came from hard experience:

In 1991, Cottonwood County assistant attorney Victor Vieth prosecuted a man charged with child sex abuse. He lost the case. Big time.

“Everything went wrong. We didn’t know how to interview children, how to interrogate a suspect, how to get corroborating evidence,” Vieth said.

Out of the failure grew a program that today teaches thousands of police, lawyers and child-protection workers how to better identify and prosecute abusers.

Vieth will get more national exposure in conjunction with Monday’s State of the Union address. Vieth, head of the National Child Protection Training Center, will attend the president’s address and will talk to congressional delegations while in Washington. He was invited by 1st Dist. U.S. Rep. Tim Walz of Mankato.

The 5-year-old training center at Winona State University has been teaching its model across the nation.

They provide a five-day course for investigators on interviewing young abuse victims and on building a good case. They train 10,000 people a year and have programs in 21 states. “That means 1 million kids reporting sexual abuse will be interviewed by one of these trained investigators.”

The center also spearheaded creation of a child-protection studies program that has been approved by the state university system and is being implemented at colleges across the country.

“For the first time, students in law enforcement, law, social work can get a minor in child protection. We hope to have it in 500 universities in 10 years.”

This is the sort of problem-solving that Congressman praises and seeks out from his district. Not merely those who can identify and talk about a problem, but work to create answers. Vieth returns the praise:

Vieth said he’s proud to be invited to the State of the Union and proud of the state’s congressional delegation, which fought for increased funding for the center. A couple of years ago, the center got $300,000 in federal funding. This year, the center will get $1.2 million in federal funds. It also gets state and private funding.

“Elected officials take a lot of criticism. But the Minnesota delegation has supported this in a bipartisan way. Preventing child sex abuse isn’t something you get elected or re-elected for. Here’s an example where our state delegation did something that won’t help them politically, but it helps the country.”

Walz led the drive for increased funding in the House, while Sens. Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar pushed it in the Senate.

Indeed, Vieth is right.

After scolding Walz for not bringing home enough bacon for the First, GOP hopeful Dick Day has now decided that earmarks are bad things. Even when one of the earmarked appropriations helps teach law enforcement, prosecutors and others how to catch people who do bad things to children.

The Austin Daily Herald reports Rep. Walz visits with border agents.  Though short, it's a more accurate snapshot of the press call than the MPR muddle.  A sample:

Rep. Tim Walz, who represents southern Minnesota in the U.S. House, said he is returning from a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border with a clearer picture of what Homeland Security is doing right there and what still needs improvement.

“In just the short amount of time we were there it was very apparent that they have a heavy presence, they’re doing the work they need,” Walz said.

Speaking to reporters via teleconference from El Paso, Texas before flying back to Mankato Saturday morning, Walz said the one-day visit with border security agents was focused mostly on border security, and not as much on illegal immigration ramifications back in his district. . . .

The New Ulm Journal reports Walz returns from border. A sample:

Federal agents charged with enforcing the American border with Mexico got a ‘thumbs-up’ from a Minnesota congressman on Saturday morning. . . .

. . .The congressman said Saturday morning that he thinks federal agents in El Paso have a unique perspective that he believes should be highlighted.

Before Sept. 11, the U.S. Border Patrol agents had neither radios nor gas for their vehicles, Walz said.

“...Now they’re on the front line,” he said.

These days, that agency has also added 3,000 new agents. It has video cameras and radar working along the border as a deterrent and it has newer technology, like the biometric fingerprint, which can identify a person’s fingerprint automatically and give agents access to files from many different law enforcement agencies.

The border inspection station that the delegation visited sees 175 million border crossings each year. Walz said he was stunned at the amount of narcotics uncovered at the border that were found by K-9 units. He saw whole shopping carts full of packages of marijuana that were removed after the dogs had found them hidden inside vehicles attempting to cross the border. . . .

Mid-day news digest: warming up for the weekend edition

In an op-ed column, Attorney General Lori Swanson writes Time to put railroads under anti-trust. The article mentions two pieces of legislation Representative Walz is supporting:

A bill introduced in Congress — the Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act — would remove the antitrust exemption for the railroads, and hopefully begin a process where our nation’s railways will become more responsive to the needs of our economy.

The Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act is co-sponsored by a number of Minnesota public officials, including Reps. Collin Peterson and Tim Walz, and Sen. Norm Coleman.

Another bill — the Railroad Competition and Service Improvement Act — co-sponsored by Reps. Jim Oberstar, Jim Ramstad, Betty McCollum, Walz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, attempts to breathe new life into the regulatory authority of the STB.

Rail customers who lack access to competitive rail transportation face higher rates and inadequate service. Ultimately, the price is passed on to all of us as consumers. The Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act merits our support, because those who fail to remember the lessons of history are bound to repeat its mistakes.

The Winona Daily News picks up the story of Walz's SOTU guest in National Child Protection Training Center leader, Walz headed to Washington.  Some tidbits:

“I’ve asked Mr. Vieth to join me at the State of the Union to draw attention to the important work the center is doing on behalf of children and families,” Walz said. “I’d like my colleagues to know more about the important work the center does to end child abuse and give our children every opportunity to reach their full potential in life.”

Vieth, a WSU graduate, said the invitation was an honor for himself and those who are involved with the center.

“There’s almost no political gain it seems for someone to advocate for funding to prevent child abuse, and that’s why this honor is so special,” said Vieth. . . .

. . .Along with Sens. Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar, Walz helped secure $1.2 million in federal earmarks for the center in 2008.

Meredith Salsbery, Walz’s communication director, said Vieth’s invitation to the address will likely be followed by others in the future in an effort to focus on innovative projects in southern Minnesota.

Student leaders at Chatfield High write a letter to say Racial incident not representative.  A black baby doll was found hanging from a noose in the school.  Here's what student leaders have to say:

Students attending Chatfield High School have been very upset about the recent events regarding racial discrimination.

As senior representatives of our school, we feel that these actions are not a reflection of the student population as a whole. The majority of students here are open-minded and accepting of people of all cultures. It is simply the acts of a few individuals who have tarnished our good reputation.

Although this is the first significant display of racial discrimination, we are aware that this has been an issue in the past. Such behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the student population here in Chatfield. We are working to address this issue in the school and promote awareness throughout the community. We are also upset with the way the media has wrongly portrayed the views of all students here. . . .

There's been a lot of discussion of superdelegates. Congressman Walz is one, but he has yet to choose the presidential candidate he will support.  He's not alone according to the Strib.  State's politicians not rushing to pick sides notes that in the state's House delegation, Michele Bachmann, Collin Peterson, Jim Ramstad and John Kline also have not made their preferences known (the GOP doesn't have superdelegates, thought the members of the RNC are convention delegate).

Media advisory: Walz on congressional fact-finding trip to the U.S.-Mexican border

We just received a media advisory from Congressman Walz's office:

. . . Walz is traveling to the border as part of a congressional fact-finding trip that will allow Members to comprehensively review security measures put in place at the border by the Department of Homeland Security.  Walz and other members of the Congressional Delegation will meet with U.S. Border Patrol agents, review security measures such as K-9 units, new technologies, and border fencing, and will visit detention centers.  Rep. Walz organized the trip with the assistance of staff from the Department of Homeland Security.

The trip has been in the works for several months now, according to congressional staff.

Cold Case files, Blue Earth style

We must confess to being suckers for the CBS crime drama "Cold Case", so it's no surprise that we've read with fascination a series of articles in the Fairmont Sentinel about its own decades-old Jane Doe case.

In Jane Doe’s body opens mystery, a farmer finds a woman's body in a ditch on an unusually hot and muggy May day in 1980.  The corpse is in such bad shape that the cause of death is uncertain until the autopsy. The unknown woman had been strangled.  Police in the area had been expecting to find this sort of crime in Faribault County ever since the Interstate opened up a few years before.

The body is never identified and is buried in a local cemetery:

Jane Doe was laid to rest as “Unidentified Woman” in Riverside Cemetery in Blue Earth. Her headstone reads: “Found May 30, 1980 near Interstate 90 east of Blue Earth.”

Though the woman's idenitity is still unknown, her killer confesses. Shocker: he's an enforcement officer, and the murder itself is a cruel sex crime, we learn in Former state trooper admitted killing Jane Doe.

He's about to become eligible for parole.

When Deborah Anderson, a MSU-Mankato employee, moved to Blue Earth in 2003, a retired cop told her the story, and suddenly, Jane Doe finds an advocate.  Anderson is moved by the thought of a family that to this day does not know the whereabouts of their lost daughter, and she's become a champion for the dead young woman.

Update 1/21: The Sentinel has posted the final installment in the series, Jane Doe: The search for an identity continues. [end update]
 

Amazing stuff.   And we recall our own girlhood in Southern Minnesota, when we'd hear about young women's bodies dumped along remote stretches of roads or in fields. It used to scare the heck out of us, but there'd be murmurs about "bad girls" who got what they deserved, rather than outrage at the brutal criminials. 

All that changed with victims' advocacy programs that began to blossom about the time that this poor woman was brutally raped and murdered.  The first article notes that there was no public outcry at the time the body was found, though one of the retired cops interviewed notes that local women were probably terrified.

That is that darker side to the pastoral childhood we enjoyed, and as the article suggests, the part no one should wish for again in southern Minnesota, or anywhere.

Merry Christmas from the snowy prairies

A light snow is falling as we type, big, fluffy flakes.  It's Christmas. We present "The Nativity"  by Federico Barocci.  That ox knows something.

In other news, the Winona Daily News reports WSU child protection center gets $1.22 million federal grant.  The National Child Protection Training Center has found both a private partner and public funding that will put the innovative program for preventing child abuse on more solid footing:

A Winona center nationally recognized for preventing child abuse says it’s back on firm financial footing following a recent infusion of federal and private dollars.

The National Child Protection Training Center at Winona State University should receive $1.22 million from an earmark in a federal bill approved in Congress last week. President Bush has said he will sign the bill, said a spokesperson for Rep. Tim Walz, D-Mankato.

The appropriation was critical for the center, which in 2006 received no federal money and was denied a federal grant.

The funding drought forced the center to temporarily lay off employees, said Jim Schmidt, vice president for advancement at WSU.

“This shot in the arm is just in the nick of time,” he said.

Founded in 2003, the center has been hailed for its unique approach to teaching law-enforcement and social service workers how to recognize, investigate, prosecute and prevent child abuse. The center operates training programs in 18 states and is slated to move into a state-of-the-art headquarters on the WSU campus this spring.

Yet director Victor Veith acknowledged the center was in a difficult financial position before finding a pair of new funding sources in the past two months.

In November, the center gained a private partner in the National Association to Prevent Sexual Abuse in Children.

The infusion of both private and federal funds should keep the center operating for at least two more years, Veith said.

Veith said the funds also will go toward the center’s curriculum and its “Finding Words” program. . . .

The National Association to Prevent Sexual Abuse in Children put out a press release about the funding:

. . .Ted Thompson, Executive Director of NAPSAC and the foundation that supports its activities, said “the money is especially welcome after federal funding had dried up in past years. With this money the Center, in its partnership with Winona State University, will be able to reach and train many more child protection professionals throughout the United States.” Thompson added that “the long term vision of the Center is to have four regional training operations on college campuses in theUnited States

Victor Vieth, director of the training center, said “This money will allow us to expand our work across the country. In the year ahead, we will provide training to over 10,000 child protection professionals, will assist dozens of universities in implementing model undergraduate or graduate child protection curricula, and will grow our forensic interview training program—a program that will positively impact a million children by the end of this decade.”

Thompson, who praised Congressmen Walz and Oberstar as well as Senators Klobuchar and Coleman for making the training center a priority in their funding requests, said “while we recognize the budget constraints faced by Congress, the NCPTC effort is critical to our overall mission to end child abuse for all time.” Adding that “these leaders recognize this investment will reap huge rewards for society both in terms of healthier, more productive citizens, and dramatically reduced financial cost associated with abuse in the future.”

What good news for children and those who work for their safety.  Meanwhile, we recommend (what else) The Heifer Project year round for those who wish to help kids and their families in other countries.

Merry Christmas!

Six Walz projects in conference reports

Walz's Washington office sent out the following news release Wednesday:

[Yesterday], Congressman Tim Walz announced that six projects important to southern Minnesota have been included in the conference reports to the FY08 Military Construction- Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill and the FY08 Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations bill.  The final versions of these bills passed the House of Representatives today and will go to the President. 

"The appropriations process can be long and tedious," said Walz.  "Due to the stringent new ethics rules put in place by the new leadership in Congress, every project that receives funding has undergone additional scrutiny this year.  That is why I am incredibly proud that my colleagues agreed with me when I said that these Minnesota projects are a top priority for federal funding." 

Walz said that the FY08 Military Construction - Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill includes $1.366 million in funding for the Minnesota National Guard's Field Maintenance Facility in Mankato.  Major General
Larry W. Shellito, the Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard said, "The 2007 Military Construction Bill, when passed, will posture the Soldiers and Airmen of the Minnesota National Guard for success in years to come.  Specifically, $1.3 million for a new Field Maintenance Shop in Mankato ensures that the equipment that our Soldiers rely upon in both wartime and state active duty missions are maintained at the highest level.  This facility adds additional jobs to southern Minnesota providing state-of-art maintenance capabilities to the Guard."

Additionally, five of Walz's appropriation requests were included in the FY08 Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations bill:

*    $425,000 for the Hormel Institute's Cancer Research Expansion Project, in Austin.  Funds will be used to expand Hormel Institute's cancer research center, construct a new research institute, and renovate a building.   

*    $125,000 for the Sheriffs Youth Program's Rochester chemical dependency program.  Funds will allow SYP to expand its chemical dependency outpatient treatment services for at-risk youth. 

*    $100,000 for St. Elizabeth's Fresh Start Disease PreventionProgram in Wabasha.  Funds will support a disease prevention pilot program to create a six-month study to help participants reduce the incidence of heart disease.

*    $315,000 for the Minneapolis Children's Hospital's Mobile Pediatric Health Simulation Center.  Funds will support the operation of a mobile pediatric lab, which will be used to train doctors and nurses in out-state MN in pediatric emergency response. 

*    $1,148,500 for the Minnesota State Colleges and University's Veterans Re-Entry Education Program.  Funds will help MnSCU, the Minnesota Department of Education, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development create programs to help returning veterans find employment and educational opportunities.

Curious to see if these projects survive the President's veto mania.

House Appropriations Committee approves even more MN-01 projects

Good news from Washington DC, as more projects that will improve life in Southern Minnesota and the nation are given the green light.

Washington, D.C.-Today, Rep. Tim Walz announced that the House Appropriations Committee approved his funding requests for both the Minnesota State University - Mankato Center for Renewable Energy and the Army Corp of Engineers Project at the Rapidan Dam site as part of the FY08 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. 

"These projects took another major step today," Walz said.  "Though they still have to clear several more hurdles, I am optimistic that both the House and Senate will see the need to invest in sensible projects like
repairing the Rapidan Dam and fostering growth in the renewable fuels industry." 

"Southern Minnesota is leading the way when it comes to renewable fuels, and it is vital to our economy, to our environment and to future generations that we continue this important research," said Walz.  "Equally important is the need to ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers has the funding it needs
to review the structure and impact of the Rapidan Dam."  The Rapidan Dam is deteriorating and in order to provide policymakers with the best information about how to address its condition, the Army Corps of Engineers must study whether rehabilitation or removal of the dam is the best option.  Walz said that this funding will allow the Army Corps to move forward with that study.

These requests will now proceed to the House floor for final passage.  The Senate is expected to complete its version of the bill in the coming months, and then the House and Senate will negotiate on a final conference report which both houses of Congress must pass.  Then Congress sends the final version to the President, who will choose whether to sign it into law or veto it. 

The Appropriations Committee approved the following projects as part of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill:

$22,300,000 for Lewis and Clark Rural Water Project
*    The lack of water availability has a serious impact on economic development in rural Minnesota: businesses are reluctant expand their operations without reliable water supplies and some communities in southern Minnesota cannot permit new homes to be built because there is not enough water to support them. 

        The Lewis and Clark Rural Water System is a unique water project that, when completed, will carry water from the Missouri River to over 300,000 residents of a 5,000 square mile area in Minnesota, South
Dakota and Iowa. 

$500,000 for the Center for Renewable Energy at Minnesota State University, Mankato 
*    This funding will support research into cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel and other renewable forms of energy at MSU-Mankato's Center for Renewable Energy.

        The research at the Center will create public-private partnerships with regional businesses which will promote economic growth in southern Minnesota while helping move the Midwest toward sustainable energy use.

$100,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate options for the Rapidan Dam in Mankato
*    The Rapidan Dam is an aging, deteriorating concrete dam with a potentially unstable foundation.  In order to provide policymakers with the best information about how to address the dam, it is necessary for the Army Corps of Engineers to study whether rehabilitation or removal of the dam is necessary.  This funding will be used to conduct that study.

The Appropriations Committee approved the following projects as part of the Commerce, Justice and Science bills:

$550,000 for the National Child Protection Training Center at Winona State University
*    The Center is a nationally-recognized leader in addressing the problem of child abuse.  The center provides training, technical assistance and publications to 15,000 child protection professionals around the
country, such as social workers, teachers, and health care professionals. 

$100,000 for Sheriffs Youth Program in Rochester 
*    Sheriffs Youth Program operates a number of programs in southern Minnesota focusing on at-risk youth.  This funding will improve their operations by allowing SYP to provide a modern security and surveillance system at all of their facilities, improving their treatment of the youth they serve.

Congressman Walz had campaigned on making the appropriations process more transparent, so that each representative would put his or her name on projects in their districts for which money was being requested.
   
From a separate news release about the Winona State project:
(Washington, D.C.)-Today, Rep. Tim Walz announced that his funding request for the National Child Protection Training Center at Winona State University was included in the FY08 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill passed last week by the House Appropriations Committee.

"The National Child Protection Training Center has cleared a major hurdle," Walz said.  "Though it still has a long way to go, this project serves a vital national need, and I am very optimistic that it will survive the
remaining legislative challenges."

"The National Child Protection Training Center is another example of national leadership from southern Minnesota.  The center has helped train over 15,000 child protection professionals all across the country to
identify and report the signs of child abuse.  I'm proud the Center is located in southern Minnesota and I'm proud to support their efforts."

The allocation will help the NCPTC to continue to operate in southern Minnesota.  In addition to providing training and technical assistance to child protection professionals, the funding will help the Center expand the undergraduate curriculum it has developed.

Final passage in the House of Representatives is the next step for these requests, before they head to the Senate.  After final passage in the Senate, the appropriations bills will head through a House-Senate conference committee before landing on the President's desk for signature.  Walz has requests in five additional appropriations bills, which have yet to be released by the Appropriations Committee.

Speaking of earmarks: National Child Protection Training Center

One of the earmarks in Walz's list released last week was for this:

National Child Protection Training Center at Winona State University. The center trains social workers, teachers and health-care professionals to recognize and report signs of child abuse.

Today the Winona Daily News reports that a Senate committee has approved money for the project:

A U.S. Senate committee on Thursday approved a bill that includes $600,000 for the National Child Protection Training Center at Winona State University, according to representatives of Senators Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar.

The WDN provides some history behind the center's funding:

The state Legislature last year committed $11.2 million for the renovation of Maxwell Hall, which houses the center. The remodeling will provide new classrooms and a mock courtroom so that child advocacy majors at Winona State will be able to get experience following a mock case from the beginning an investigation through the trial, Mikkelsen said.

In 2005, the center was about to close its doors after federal support dwindled. But with ongoing funding from Congress and donors, the center has been able to stay open and receive support to expand.

One might call it pork, but it looks close to one of the government's central missions to us: securing the safety of citizens.  It's good to see the state's senators and the district's congressman support a project together.

Of COPS, children and co-ops: mid-afternoon post

We were dismayed this morning to read in the Washington Post that violent crime was up again, spiked by an increase in youth crime.  The drop in youth crime that began during the Clinton administration was a fine thing. 

This was on the heels of reading in the Winona Daily News about cuts to Lewiston's police force.  Now, those cuts were caused by other financial obiligations Lewiston faces, but we're hoping that just maybe legislative relief is on its way from Washington for Lewiston and other Southern Minnesota towns. We were surprised to learn action was so quickly on its way.

Press Release: Walz votes to put more cops on the streets of southern Minnesota

(Washington, DC) - Today, as Americans recognize National Police Week and National Peace Officers Memorial Day, Rep. Tim Walz will join a bipartisan majority of his colleagues in supporting H.R. 1700, the COPS Improvement Act of 2007. 

The COPS bill was originally authorized in 1994 and is designed to help local law enforcement agencies hire an additional 50,000 police officers over the next six years.

"I'm proud to support this program, which is vitally important to communities in southern Minnesota," said Rep. Walz.  "Under the Republican Congress, funding for the COPS program was consistently cut back and last year, appropriations for the hiring grants were completely eliminated."

Under the COPS program, local law enforcement agencies may apply for funding to hire additional police officers or to purchase technology and equipment. Rep. Walz is a cosponsor of H.R. 1700, which authorizes $600 million a year for COPS hiring grants.  It also authorizes $350 million a year for COPS
technology grants and $200 million a year for hiring community prosecutors.

"From 1995 to 2005, the COPS program helped local law enforcement agencies in Minnesota hire over 1400 additional officers, which led to a significant reduction in crime," noted Walz.  "It is vitally important that we reauthorize and fund this grant program which will help southern Minnesota combat everything from truancy in our schools to meth in our communities."

The following information includes statistics about the COPS program's importance to Minnesota's First Congressional District and the projected benefits for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District if the program is fully funded over the next six years.

Officers and Deputies

Since 1994, 144 additional police officers and/or sheriff deputies have been hired in the 1st District of Minnesota.

If the C.O.P.S. Improvement Act of 2007 passes into law, 62 more police officers will likely be put on the beat.

Funding

Since 1994, $9,739,098 in C.O.P.S. grants have been awarded to law enforcement agencies in the 1st District of Minnesota.

If the C.O.P.S. Improvement Act of 2007 passes into law, an additional$2,971,250 will likely flow to the 1st District of Minnesota.

School Resource Officers

Since 1994, 10 additional police officers and/or sheriff deputies have been hired in the 1st District of Minnesota.

If the C.O.P.S. Improvement Act of 2007 passes into law, 4 more school resource officers will likely be put on the beat.

Technology Grants

Since 1994, $1,303,592 in C.O.P.S. grants have been awarded to law enforcement agencies in the 1st District of Minnesota to purchase technology that enables agencies to put more officers on the beat.

If the C.O.P.S. Improvement Act of 2007 passes into law, an additional $397,706 in technology grants will likely flow to the 1st District of Minnesota.

All of Minnesota's eight House members voted for the C.O.P.S. Improvement Act of 2007.

Education Week News: House Freshmen Could Be Pivotal on NCLB Renewal
In the registration required venure, Ed Week News reports that House Freshmen Could Be Pivotal on NCLB Renewal.  Naturally, the only active teacher in the U.S. House--and the one who's spouse is her district's school assessments coordinator--gets a share of the attention in the article:

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., a teacher on leave from Mankato, Minn., said his Democratic colleagues in the freshman class generally feel a “greater sense of urgency” to address issues such as the narrowing of the curriculum and an overemphasis on testing.

“Most of them came through really tough elections,” he said. “Many of them very, very much had their ear to the ground for these issues, so they seem to get it.”

Rep. Walz said he would vote against renewing the law in its current form. Among other changes, he would like to see schools be permitted to use multiple measures, including portfolios of student work, to demonstrate learning outcomes.

The article links to an interview, photo gallery, and video from the March issue of Teacher Magazine. Some incredibly cute pictures of the Walz kids.

We've been told by a reader in St. Peter that Rep. Walz is scheduled to be in St. Peter for the local food co-op's Owner Appreciation Day on Saturday. St. Peter is a lovely college town in the scenic Minnesota River Valley.

Giving good meetings: Meth impact, farm bill, and foreign policy

Meth impact meeting
KEYC reports about today's regional forum on meth impact in Problem of Meth in MN:

Congressman Tim Walz continued his tour of southern Minnesota today, but this time to talk about a devastating drug problem. News 12's Nathan Harrington has more on the forum featuring an impressive lineup of experts on the problem of meth in Minnesota.

Drug use and abuse is a nationwide problem, but the facts about Methamphetamine addiction in southern Minnesota could surprise you. "The drug problem affects everybody. And I don't think there is any more glaring evidence about the pervasiveness and destruction of the drug problem that we've experienced in this state with meth the past 10 years".

Admissions into drug treatment centers has been steady since 2000, with last year seeing 46 thousand people needing a cure for meth. It's also become a drug of choice, with levels of meth as a primary drug for users going up in the past 5 years. Law makers say there is still work to be done.

"We still have to work on assessment, which we haven't done a good job on. We have to work on total treatment and you also have to have a very strong after care program. So these are issues we are working on," [said State Senator Julie Rosen].

However, the organizer of the forum says this is an all star lineup of people who understand the problem:

"This is a very knowledgeable group and I said it helps inform me and the publics that's here. They've made it very clear what we need to do out in Washington and as their representative out there I need to make sure we're going to get that done and we heard them loud and clear and having different ideas to share among the panel will hopefully help elimiate the problem of meth," {said Representative Walz].

"The advantage of this is we have federal officials, state officials, local officials, all in the same room talking about the problem, sharing their experiences and sharing potential solutions, and that's very helpful."

Help that will lead to hope in the fight against meth. In Mankato, Nathan Harrington, news 12.

Leigh Pomeroy at the Minnesota Monitor offers more in-depth coverage in Progress Against Meth, but Problem Still Critical.

Farm bill meetings coverage
The Albert Lea Tribune covers Monday's meeting in Walz visits AL to discuss farm bill:

Area farmers and residents gathered Monday afternoon to participate in a forum designed to find out the local effects of the farm bill.

A forum of discussion is the best way to find out the concerns for this type of legislation, Minnesota’s 1st District Congressman Tim Walz said at the forum, which was at Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services.

His stop in Albert Lea was one of several planned throughout the district to gather input about the federal bill, which is up for reauthorization this year.

“Everybody has a right to be heard,” Walz said. “Every point needs to be articulated.”

He said he and the other House Agriculture Committee members were asked by committee Chairman Rep. Collin Peterson to gather input from their constituents in April and May to make way for the drafting of the new bill in the following months. The feedback he’s gotten so far, Walz said, has amazed him. . . .

Find out why in Sarah Light's article.   

AgriNews is out with more coverage by Janet Kubat Willette in Plenty of opinions offered at farm bill hearing and Conservation, commodity programs draw farm bill hearing interest.  Tomorrow's Farm Bill hearings: 

10 a.m. - Jackson
Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Room Y101 

2 p.m. - Blue Earth
Town and Country Plaza - Ag Center Building,
415 South Grove Street (Hwy 169)

Thursday--Connecting with Government: Public Forums with Minnesota's Elected Officials
City slickers and those rural Minnesotans who have dug themselves out of the winter storm by Thursday should consider heading to the U for Tim Walz's speech about teaching foreign policy:

"Tomorrow's Foreign Policy: What We're Teaching Today's Students and Why  It Matters"
Thursday, April 12, 2007
10:00am - 11:30am
Cowles Auditorium
Humphrey Center
301 19th Ave S., Minneapolis

Light refreshments served after event

The Center for the Study of Politics and Governance is hosting a series of public talks by prominent government leaders as part of our ongoing commitment to fostering informed and substantive discussion on important matters of public policy. "Connecting with Government" will allow Minnesota's elected officials the opportunity to rise above the talking points and fractious back-and-forth of the legislative process to make substantive statements about issues of importance for Minnesotans. It also creates a forum for students and citizens to listen and raise questions with their elected officials.

The Center for the Study of Politics and Governance works to develop practical solutions to pressing political and policy challenges. CSPG provides non-partisan research and forums to foster more effective and efficient governance, increase the transparency of government processes, and rebuild public trust in order to counteract negative influences that threaten our democracy.

These events are free and open to the public. To request disability accommodations, please call 612-625-2530 or email cspg {at} umn {dot} edu.

Another post about yet another Walz public meeting: meth impact forum

Tim Walz has scheduled yet another public meeting in Southern Minnesota, according to his latest press advisory:

On Tuesday, April 10th, Rep. Tim Walz will host a regional forum about the impact of meth on southern Minnesota.  The forum will address the need for all levels of government to work together in combating the production and use of meth and will include speakers from state and local government.

WHAT: Regional Forum on the Impacts of Meth
WHERE: Midwest Wireless Civic Center, Room 243
1 Civic Center Plaza
Mankato, Minnesota
WHEN: Tuesday, April 10th, 10:00am

The forum is free and open to the public. The forum will include presentations from:
* State Senator Julie Rosen
* Minnesota Gang and Drug Taskforce Coordinator Bob Bushman
* Minnesota Department of Human Services Program & Policy Specialist Jeff Hunsberger
* Minnesota Meth Coordinator Chuck Noerenberg
* Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner

In addition to the meth meeting, Rep. Walz will participate in the following events on April 10th:

8am KDOG Morning Show
Rep. Tim Walz will co-host the 8 o'clock hour of the KDOG morning show with Brad and Sarah.  The show broadcasts in the Mankato area on 96.7FM and in western Minnesota on KNSG 94.7FM.

2:00-4:00 New Ulm Farm Bill Meeting
Martin Luther College
Luther Student Center Building Cafeteria
1995 Luther Court
New Ulm, Minnesota

The Rochester Post Bulletin reports on last night's meeting in Austin in Walz gathers input on federal farm bill:

The 40 or so people gathered in the basement of the Elks Lodge in Austin to discuss the farm bill know its importance.

But most people don't, said Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn. Walz is conducting nine farm bill hearings in the 1st District this month to hear from people affected by the bill.

The effect of the farm bill is far-reaching. It funds everything from school lunch programs to filter strips along waterways to rural infrastructure upgrades. The bill is up for reauthorization this year.

"When we create a budget document, we are impacting people's lives in a very real way," Walz said of the work in Congress. The document is a moral document because it reflects the nation's values, he said.

Walz serves on the House Agriculture Committee. Fellow Minnesotan Rep. Collin Peterson is the committee chairman. Peterson has directed committee members to gather input from their constituents through early May in preparation for writing a new farm bill and enacting it by September.

Find out what the farmers told Walz by reading the full PB article.

The Austin Daily Herald reports on Walz's meeting with veterans in During Austin visit, Walz's ‘to do' list gets longer.  Many veterans attended and they wanted action:

First District Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., said Wednesday night “a promise raised should be a promise kept.”

America's veterans have heard that before, but Walz brings new hope that he will keep the promises he makes.

After all, he's the highest ranking enlisted man in the U.S. Armed Forces ever to serve in Congress.

And only a year ago today, he was teaching classes at Mankato West High School instead of traveling the 1st Congressional District with an entourage.

Walz spoke to a large crowd of area veterans Wednesday night at the Austin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1216.

Earlier Wednesday in Austin, he discussed a new Farm Bill with area farmers, but the veterans and their spouses gathered at the VFW Hall Wednesday night proved the most demanding.

Learn more about their demands in the Austin Daily Herald. We agree with Representative Walz's conclusion in the article:

One by one, veterans made their demands known of the new congressman, who defeated six-term incumbent Gil Gutknecht last November.

One by one, Walz looked them in the eye and gave them an answer and assigned an aide to “get on this immediately;” a phrase heard repeatedly.

Norm Hecimovich, Walz's veterans affairs liaison in the 1st District, watched and listened and took his own notes of things he could do.

It was a night of requests and demands and the new congressman's own pledge to help in whatever way a retired Command Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army can in Washington D.C.

“The one constant for all you veterans is that the nation must be there for you,” Walz said.

In other news, the PB reports that Labor board files charges against Holiday Inn Express:

The National Labor Relations Board is taking its dispute with the Holiday Inn Express over the dismissal of 18 hotel workers before an administrative law judge. . . .

. . . The discovery that the 18 workers were out of jobs came four days before Christmas and days after CMPJ, a Texas-based firm, purchased the hotel from its longtime owner, Sunstone Properties. CMPJ Enterprises argues that the transaction with Sunstone was an asset purchase only and that the workers were never the employees of the company in the first place.

According to the complaint, the NLRB alleges that soon after the purchase was made, CMPJ Enterprises, through an agent, "threatened employees by stating that (CMPJ Enterprises) would not retain employees who had been with the union and (CMPJ Enterprise) did not want union employees."

It also states that representatives of CMPJ Enterprises have refused to bargain with or recognize Local 21 since the firm became the owners of the hotel.

 

House passes Meth Remediation bill

The federal meth remediation bill we wrote about earlier in the week passed in the House in a nearly unanimous vote, according to the Worthington Globe:

WORTHINGTON — A bill that charges the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the development of health-based guidelines to assist state and local authorities in cleaning up former meth lab sites — and co-sponsored by Minnesota 1st District Rep. Tim Walz — was passed Wednesday in the House of Representatives by a lopsided margin.

By a vote of 426-2, the House approved the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007. Walz delivered a statement in support of the bill on the House floor, saying the legislation is a necessary step toward improving the meth lab remediation process nationwide.

“Meth production, which often occurs in residential homes, leaves behind dangerous, toxic waste,” Walz said. “According to the Minnesota Department of Health, meth production leaves behind five to seven pounds of chemical waste for every pound of meth produced.” . . .

Walz see the federal measure as a tool to help state and local efforts to fight meth:

“In 2005, the Drug Enforcement Administration discovered 88 labs in Minnesota, each of which presented a risk,” Walz said. “Although Minnesota has strong local and state guidelines for dealing with meth lab remediation, the federal government can still play an important role in making the remediation process easier for local communities.”

According to a 2006 National Drug Threat Survey of state and local law enforcement agencies across the nation, meth was named most often as the greatest drug threat in communities.

“This is just one of many steps needed to safeguard our communities against this terrible drug,” Walz stated.

Even Kline and Bachmann voted for this one. Walz was a co-sponsor.

Update: The Albert Lea Tribune looks at local implications for the bill.

Walz co-sponsors HR 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Act

The consequences of meth manufacture and use are tragic wherever they happen, but in rural Minnesota, with its smaller tax base and population, the illegal drug's impact hits a bit harder than in more wealthy areas. Just about everyone has a story of a friend, neighbor or family member hit by the scourge.

That being the case, we speculate that Representative Tim Walz is once more bringing his constituents' concern forward. This just in from the DC office, which tells us that a vote on the bill is coming up today:

Rep. Walz Works to Clean Up Meth Problem in Minnesota

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In order to help communities across Minnesota clean up methamphetamine labs and the toxic mess they leave behind, U.S. Rep. Tim Walz is co-sponsoring H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Act.

Today, Rep. Walz added his support to H.R. 365, a bill that charges the Environmental Protection Agency with the development of health-based guidelines to assist state and local authorities in cleaning up former meth lab sites.

"We must work, not only to end addiction to meth, but also to responsibly clean up the toxic sites left by its manufacture," said Walz.  "Abandoned and raided labs leave a volatile mess of chemicals and dangerous equipment, many of them where our children live and play."

"While Minnesota has already mandated and funded meth lab cleanup, this measure finally gives state and local officials the tools and health-based guidelines needed to clean these facilities," Walz said.

In addition to establishing those guidelines, the bill would also:

·  Direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to consult with EPA in developing technologies to detect meth labs, emphasizing in field test kits for law enforcement.

·  Require the National Academy of Sciences to study the long-term health impacts of meth exposure on first-responders and on children taken from meth lab sites.

The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that more than 88 meth labs were seized in Minnesota in 2005.

According to a 2006 National Drug Threat Survey of state and local law enforcement agencies across the nation, meth was named most often as the greatest drug threat in communities.

"This is just one of many steps needed to safeguard our communities against this terrible drug," Walz stated.

Rep. Walz also delivered the following statement in support of H.R. 365 on the floor of the House of Representatives today:

Mr./Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007.  In Minnesota, methamphetamine usage has increased dramatically over the last decade. That being said, legislators, law enforcement agencies, and concerned citizens are all taking necessary steps to protect our communities from the threat of methamphetamine production and usage.

This legislation addresses the difficult problem of meth lab remediation.  Meth production, which often occurs in residential homes, leaves behind dangerous, toxic waste.  In fact, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, meth production leaves behind 5 to 7 pounds of chemical waste for every 1 pound of meth produced.  This waste presents a health risk to future residents and an environmental risk to the surrounding area.  In 2005, the Drug Enforcement Administration discovered 88 meth labs in Minnesota, each of which presented such a risk.  Although Minnesota has strong local and state guidelines for dealing with meth lab remediation, the federal government can still play an important role in making the remediation process easier for local communities.

H.R. 365 will direct the EPA to research and establish important voluntary guidelines for meth lab remediation.  Furthermore, the bill will bring together local and state agencies, organizations, and individuals to share their best strategies for cleaning up meth labs and determining when they are inhabitable. 

Mr./Madam Speaker, this legislation is a necessary step toward improving the meth lab remediation process nationwide.  It will help local, state, and federal law enforcement safely move forward after discovering a meth lab and it will make local communities dealing with the methamphetamine problem cleaner and healthier. 

Thank you.

Among Minnesota's congressional delegation, Oberstar and Peterson have also signed on as co-sponsors.