Red Lake Nation Child & Family Service Center
I have introduced House File 3510, a bill to fund construction of a child and family services building that will allow the Red Lake Nation to take over their child protection services, which is currently administered by the counties. No adequate structure currently exists on the reservation.
The proposed construction of this child and family services building for the Red Lake Nation is a big win all around. With the small investment this project would take, we can both alleviate burden from already stretched county resources and assist the Red Lake Nation in taking this next step to becoming an Initiative Tribe, something that the Red Lake Nation, Beltrami County, and the state have been working to achieve.
The bill calls for $8,717,000 from the general fund to be issued for the design, construction, and set up costs for the new facility.
This facility will strengthen the Red Lake Nation's ability to control out of home placement of their children and to help strengthen and heal families. It will also provide relief for Beltrami and the surrounding counties.
I have worked closely with the Red Lake Nation and Beltrami county on this issue. It was important we make this issue one where we work across the aisle and I am proud we have been able to do just that with this important bill. I hope the legislative leaders and the governor strongly consider this modest funding request when putting together a bonding bill at the end of the session.
This bill has bipartisan co-authors including Capital Investment Chair Mary Murphy, DFL-Hermantown, former Capital Investment Chair and current Republican Lead Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, Rep. Tony Albright, R-Prior Lake, Rep. Liz Olson, DFL-Duluth, and Rep. John Persell, DFL-Bemidji.
The Senate version of the bill, Senate File 3615, is authored our Senator Paul Utke.
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