Clay County Commission
Dan Haglund
On Tuesday morning with a fairly light agenda, the Clay County Board of Commissioners did get a chance to hear a legislative update from local Minnesota House Rep. Heather Keeler, DFL-Dist. 4A on what lies ahead this year.
And for Keeler, her highest priority is the upcoming bonding bill, and specifically the nonsecure juvenile detention center planned for Moorhead.
Keeler, who announced in November that she will be running for the GOP-held 7th District congressional seat currently occupied by Michelle Fischbach, has been serving in the House since 2021.
Keeler started by first addressing the large state budget deficit, but that the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) in north Moorhead received the $1 million needed for completion.
“That’s us. We did that work (to get the PRTF funded),” Keeler said. “We really spent a lot of time educating not only our community but our legislative colleagues down in Minneapolis about what we’re doing here. So much so that they’re talking about what we are building as a statewide mechanism to support our kids.”
The PRTF, which services 28 total counties and 11 tribal nations, provides treatment for individuals under age 21 with complex mental health conditions. It is an inpatient level of care provided in a residential facility, but not a hospital. It delivers services under the direction of a physician, seven days per week, to residents and their families, which may include individual, family and group therapy.
The House goes back into session on Feb. 18 for policy-only issues.
Keeler said the bonding bill that includes a $25.7 million ask toward a nonsecure juvenile detention center was submitted last April is “still alive.”
Bonding bills require a “super-majority” for passage, or 60 percent, so reaching across the political aisle is necessary as the House is divided almost exactly in half. It would require 90 votes out of 134 seats.
Keeler said she’s received questions about getting North Dakota involved with the PRTF, but commissioners voiced their understanding that the facility will be Minnesota- and county-based. Commissioner Kevin Campbell, Dist. 4, said that there probably just wouldn’t be room for the demand if it expanded its reach over the border.
Keeler said she’s open to any funding partnership ideas if the state cannot foot the whole bill.
“This is my top priority,” Keeler said. “I told you guys (commissioners) I was going to work hard on this, and I did and we were successful.”
She said additional education and advocacy needs to be done with Minnesota Senate members on this project as well. The governor’s office, she added, is well-versed on the project already.
“Let me help you help us build the bridges on who we need to talk to,” Keeler said. “Again, this is a very bipartisan effort as it should be for our kids.”
She implored board members to reach out to any and all directions for help in the bonding push.
Keeler, 43, is also an enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe in South Dakota and co-chairs the Human Services Finance and Policy Committee.
The former educator-advocate has touted policies in the House that she helped advance, including efforts to address homelessness, nutrition assistance expansion and mental health services.