This week, AAA wrote a letter to Terry thanking him for his hard work on promoting teenage driver safety. AAA’s regional president wrote to thank Terry “for your leadership on this issue.” The legislation that Terry supported on the House Floor and in his work on the Transportation Policy Conference Committee helps teens become better drivers and has reduced serious injuries and fatalities in other states.

July 9:

AARP Minnesota thanked Terry for supporting the 2008 Health Care Reform package passed in the Minnesota Legislature.  Terry and his fellow legislators who voted for the bill were praised “for putting politics aside and passing meaningful health care reform.”  In addition to writing to Terry, AARP placed a thank-you ad in the Star Tribune.

This week, I attended the “Emerging Political Leadership” program at the University of Virginia. Over 50 legislators from around the country participated in the 4-day program. The program website explains

“Each year, the Senate President, Speaker of the House, and Minority Leader from each of the 50 state legislatures, are invited to nominate up to three members whom they judge to be the “best and the brightest” in their chambers. Men and women who by their every day actions, display those qualities—integrity, intelligence, common sense, dedication to the institution they serve and the willingness to work across party lines for the benefit of the people—that we commonly identify with our finest legislative leaders.”

2008 Emerging Political Leadership Program

More information on the State Legislative Leadership Foundation and the EPL program is at

http://www.sllf.org/leadersfoundation.php/cat/16/aid/17/title/The_Program_for_Emerging_Political_Leaders

Mankato Free Press, July 10

Local lawmakers said Wednesday that most of their questions remain unanswered about what prompted the proposed lay-offs of 63 full-time and part-time employees at the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center.

But Sen. Kathy Sheran and Rep. Terry Morrow hope to learn more during a meeting Friday with Minnesota Department of Human Services officials in St. Paul and retain hope that the department will hold a community meeting in St. Peter to discuss the job cuts. They also hope that the department will delay the lay-offs, which are set to occur on Wednesday.

“To find out during a holiday week that a large number of security officers are going to be laid off in two weeks makes for a bit of a scramble,” Morrow said of last week’s announcement. “And we want to slow down the scramble.”

For more of the story, please visit….

http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/local_story_192005122.html

July 9—

The Minnesota School Board Association has awarded Representative Terry Morrow with a “Certificate of Appreciation” for his commitment to Minnesota’s students. Terry’s work regarding school funding and management of school trust fund lands was cited as reasons for this honor.

KEYC, July 8, 2008

Officials with the Minnesota Department of Human Services have issued a response to local lawmakers concerning job cuts at the Regional Treatment Center in St. Peter. Fox Mankato’s Ryan Gustafson has been following this story, and joins us live in the newsroom with more.

Ryan. The concerns began last week, when lawmakers learned that overspending within the Department would lead to the elimination of nearly 100 jobs… with the bulk of them coming from the St. Peter facility. The Minnesota Department of Human Services was quick to point out that any jobs cut from the St. Peter facility will be cut from the security hospital, and not from the Sex Offender program.

It also appears that the department has agreed to meet with local lawmakers, with a tentative discussion set for Friday in St. Paul with Senator Kathy Sheran, and Representatives Kathy Brynaert and Terry Morrow.

Representative Terry Morrow says, “I want to know how did the crisis occur, what alternatives did they consider and reject, how is security going to to be maintained, and if there are lay-offs, how are you going to treat the employees.”

Representative Morrow is referring to the estimated 15 million dollars in overspending by the department, which prompted these cuts, And the swift manner in which they were dealt with.

Representative Morrow says, “From my perspective, as a representative of this community, the largest concern is the short time period. I find out last Monday, a week ago, that something’s going to be done next week, that was rather dramatic.

Local lawmakers are hoping to set up a public hearing for any one who has questions or concerns regarding the department of human service’s actions.

State Representative Terry Morrow (DFL-St. Peter) and state Senator Kathy Sheran (DFL-Mankato) said they were alarmed to learn this week about pending cuts at the Regional State Hospital in St. Peter. According to the two area legislators, significant staff cuts are planned, in large part to workers in charge of providing security at the facility. Few cuts to middle and upper management have been identified.

According to the Department of Human Services (DHS), overspending in the department of $15 million triggered the staff reductions. The cuts are unrelated to any budgetary changes made during the most recent legislative session.

“First and foremost, we want to know the impact these cuts will have on the security of residents in our communities and the remaining staff at these facilities,” said Morrow. “Second, as area legislators, we are responsible to make sure that public funds are spent wisely. The community expects answers to these concerns, and others, before this plan moves forward.”

Sheran and Morrow are sending a letter to DHS Commissioner Cal Ludeman listing the questions and concerns to be addressed prior to implementing any reductions. They ask for a detailing of persons and their positions employed at the St. Peter facilities, the apparent increase in high - ranking positions, the factors that have contributed to the overspending and the alternatives that were considered.

“Cuts that threaten security are not appropriate when we’re dealing with the safety of the treatment center’s employees, patients, and surrounding community,” said Sheran. “While I understand that the department is facing a difficult budget situation, it is our responsibility to make certain the solution does not create adverse outcomes in terms of safety. We also need to discuss the department’s plan for employees who are affected by layoffs at the hospital.”

One reason cited for the layoffs is the fact that there are currently no adolescents in the adolescent treatment program, allowing DHS to close that section. Morrow and Sheran question what happens when adolescents return to the patient population; does the closing of this section now only lead to future problems?

“Our understanding is that the need for adolescent facilities has not gone away,” said Morrow. “We cannot be so short-sighted that we cut a valuable program today, only to discover within months that we need to re-open the facility.”

As it now stands, letters will be sent out on July 16 to over 100 employees, notifying them they are being laid-off; more layoffs are planned for the fall. Most of the cuts will come in St. Peter, with fewer at the Anoka, Fergus Falls and other facilities.

Sheran and Morrow are organizing a public hearing to give residents and local officials the opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing the Department of Human Services, as well as alternative solutions and the potential impact of the choices being made. The lawmakers said they will seek the participation of DHS officials at the meeting. Sen. Sheran and Rep. Morrow will also ask the department to delay any staff cuts at the treatment center until after the public has had an opportunity to weigh in on the proposal.

“While DHS may have known about these plans for quite some time, this is fairly new to the community,” said Sheran. “We need a thorough and transparent review process with the participation of all interested persons before any staff cuts are made at this critical and badly-needed state treatment center.”