State Sen. Julie Rosen has been honored with the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities’ Rural Leadership Award for her efforts to help advance CGMC priorities and other issues that are important to Greater Minnesota communities during the preceding legislative sessions.

This spring, Sen. Rosen, a Republican from Vernon Center who currently is serving her fifth term in the Minnesota Senate, led the fight to ensure that all cities received a fair share of the funds that the state received through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As chair of the Senate Finance Committee, she worked closely with city leaders and her colleagues in the Legislature to develop a plan to distribute CARES Act funding equitably across the state. Throughout negotiations, she continued to advocate for Greater Minnesota cities and made sure that rural voices were a key part of the discussion.

“Sen. Rosen is always looking out for Greater Minnesota,” said Greg Zylka, mayor of Little Falls and president of the CGMC. “That was particularly evident this year during the CARES Act negotiations at the Legislature. She proactively sought out rural city leaders to get our perspective on our needs and concerns related to the pandemic response and she continued to fight for us all along the way. Her efforts helped bring much-needed relief funds to our communities.”

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.