U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) was recognized by the Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) as the Legislator of the Year for championing legislation to benefit law enforcement agencies nationwide. Klobuchar was one of two legislators to receive the award, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was honored as the other recipient for this year.
Klobuchar was selected for the Legislator of the Year award for passing her Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act into law to help police and firefighters who get sick from being exposed to toxic substances and her work to advance Next Generation 9-1-1 to help ensure that states and local governments can deploy upgraded 9-1-1 systems across the country.
“It was an honor to present Senator Klobuchar with the Major County Sheriffs of America’s (MCSA) Legislator of the Year award. Her bipartisan leadership – including the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, which honors the sacrifice of fallen public safety officers and helps protect their families, as well as her work to advance Next Generation 911 modernization and continued support for the COPS Program – reflects a strong commitment to public safety and to working with Sheriffs on practical solutions. We thank her for her continued support and partnership and look forward to continuing our work together,” said Sheriff Bill Brown, President, MCSA.
“I always believe that courage around here is not standing by yourself, yelling at people in a speech in the Chamber, but courage is whether you’re willing to stand next to someone you don’t always agree with for the betterment of this country,” said Klobuchar. “That is the philosophy I learned from the work that I did with law enforcement which allowed me to come to the Senate and think about things in a very different way. So I cannot tell you, at this moment, in our own state and in our country, how much this means to get this award.”
Klobuchar has long been a champion of legislation to provide law enforcement with the tools and resources to do their jobs and advance public safety.
In December, Klobuchar’s Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act was signed into law. The bipartisan legislation expands access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers.
Klobuchar is the co-chair of the Senate Next Generation 9-1-1 Caucus and, in 2021, introduced legislation to accelerate federal efforts to modernize the nation’s 9-1-1 systems. This funding will help ensure that states and local governments can deploy next generation 9-1-1 systems across the country. The upgrades are urgently needed to help move the country’s largely outdated 9-1-1 call centers and related technology into the digital age. The bill will help enable 9-1-1 call centers to handle text messages, pictures, videos, and other information sent by smartphones, tablets, and other devices when faced with an emergency.
