Sen. Bill Weber was recognized by the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities (CGMC) July 29 during the Coalition’s summer conference in Alexandria for his positive impact on environmental issues in Greater Minnesota.
Sen. Weber, a Republican from Luverne, is serving his third term in the Minnesota Senate. The Legislator of Distinction Award is given to legislators who played key roles in advancing CGMC’s policy during the preceding legislative session.
As a mayor-turned-legislator, Weber has supported issues that are important to Greater Minnesota cities.
This year, he served as the chief Senate author of an initiative that tackles sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of “forever” chemicals linked to health concerns and that have been found in water bodies across the state.
Weber helped secure $600,000 to create the PFAS Municipal Reduction Strategy, which focuses on studying the sources of PFAS, developing strategies to prevent them from entering wastewater plants, and educating wastewater professionals and the public on PFAS and habits that result in them entering the environment.
In addition, Weber advocated for a stakeholder group to involve municipal organizations like the CGMC to help develop plans and strategies for dealing with PFAS.
“Sen. Weber is not afraid of tackling complex, challenging issues that impact Greater Minnesota communities,” said Greg Zylka, mayor of Little Falls and president of the CGMC.
“He understands that PFAS and other pollutants are a major concern for our cities and utility operators. He fought hard to secure funding for a strategy that will tackle the sources of PFAS and prevent them from reaching our city water facilities.”
CGMC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization representing more than 100 cities outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Coalition educates legislators about issues important to Greater Minnesota.