State Sen. Torrey Westrom Receives CGMC Legislator of Distinction Award

State Sen. Torrey Westrom was recognized by the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities (CGMC) July 26 during the Coalition’s three-day summer conference in Mankato for his positive impact on the state’s environmental policy.

Sen. Westrom, a Republican from Elbow Lake, is serving his second term in the Minnesota Senate after serving eight terms in the House. The Legislator of Distinction Award is given to legislators who played key roles in advancing CGMC’s policy during the preceding legislative session.

Throughout his 22-year career as a legislator, Sen. Westrom has been a strong supporter of rural issues. In recent years, he has been one of the leading voices in the Legislature regarding the need for more funding to help cities pay for needed upgrades to their water treatment facilities. Recognizing that many small cities cannot afford to repair their infrastructure without additional help from the state, he authored legislation to create a new supplemental grant program to help meet these costs.

“Sen. Westrom has been instrumental in looking for creative ways to help cities afford to pay for critical infrastructure upgrades,” said Dave Smiglewski, mayor of Granite Falls and president of the CGMC. “As cities across the state continue to face massive costs to meet new water quality regulations and repair aging facilities, we need leaders like Sen. Westrom who are willing to stand up to state agencies and other lawmakers to advocate for the needs of rural communities.”

CGMC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization representing 97 cities outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Coalition educates legislators about issues important to Greater Minnesota.