Senator Tom Bakk
Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk was honored with the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities (CGMC)’s Rural Leadership Award on July 21 during the Coalition’s three-day summer conference in Austin.
The Rural Leadership Award is given to legislators who helped advance CGMC priorities in several program areas during the preceding legislative session.
Bakk, a Democrat from Cook, is serving his fourth term in the Minnesota Senate after previously serving four terms in the House. This year, Bakk was outspoken about the need for an increase in funding for Local Government Aid (LGA) and was insistent that it be included in the final tax bill.
He also continues to be a strong advocate for rural communities when it comes to transportation — always making sure that funding for Greater Minnesota roads and bridges is included in any transportation discussions or proposals.
Further, he recognizes cities’ concerns about being able to cover the cost of needed upgrades to their wastewater facilities and was a strong supporter of a bonding proposal to provide more than $100 million in additional state funding for clean water infrastructure.
“Sen. Bakk is a savvy negotiator who doesn’t back down from a fight when it comes to defending the needs of Greater Minnesota residents and businesses,” said Robert Broeder, mayor of Le Sueur and president of the CGMC. “Greater Minnesota is fortunate to have a smart and experienced rural legislator like Sen. Bakk leading the Senate.”
CGMC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization representing 88 cities outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Coalition educates legislators about issues important to Greater Minnesota.
Leave a Reply