Rep. Debra Hilstrom receives Legislator Recognition Award

Brooklyn Center State Rep. Debra Hilstrom was presented the 2018 MCPA Legislator Recognition Award at the association's fall meeting in November.  Hilstrom, who will leave the Minnesota House of Representatives at the beginning of the year, has been a leader on criminal justice and public safety issues throughout her legislative career.

When she was in her 20s, Hilstrom began her work as a domestic-abuse advocate and it wasn’t too long before she was serving her hometown on the Brooklyn Center city council.  When she first ran for office as a state representative, she asked to serve on the House Public Safety policy and finance committees.  Her service and leadership on those committees has continued throughout her legislative career.

As she likes to remind people, many thought Rep. Hilstrom was a lawyer long before she ever went to law school.   She earned her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law just 10 years ago.  And she did it while still serving in the Minnesota House and raising 2 children along with her husband.

Whether it is victims of fraud, people struggling with addiction or fearing violence in their lives… Minnesota has been well served by the hard work and dedication to justice delivered by Rep. Hilstrom throughout her time as a public servant.  The Minnesota Chiefs – and larger public safety community – are grateful for her leadership and partnership on issues important to our communities.
Award Criteria
A current Minnesota Senator or Representative qualifies for recognition if he or she does at least one of the following:

• Authors bills that address the legislative priorities identified by the MCPA Legislative Committee  
• Supports bills that are consistent with MCPA’s positions as identified by the MCPA Legislative Committee  
• Displays a desire to better understand and take action to solve the public policy challenges of law enforcement
• Develops a thoughtful and persuasive argument that shapes the public narrative around an important issue facing local and/or national law enforcement

Nomination and Selection Process
A current MCPA Voting member can nominate a legislator to be recognized by the association by filling out a nomination form and submitting it to the MCPA. The legislator must be in elected office at the time of the nomination to be eligible for recognition.
The annual deadline to submit nomination forms is June 1. The nomination forms can be found in the "Members Only" section of the MCPA website.