WILLMAR - Rep. Dave Baker has been selected to serve on a national program that's focused on addressing the opioid epidemic.
Baker, a state legislator from Willmar, will serve as a a 2019 Opioid Policy Fellow with the National Conference of State Legislators.
The program is focused on health policies and programs being addressed by state legislatures across the country to combat the opioid epidemic.
As a fellow, Baker will have the opportunity to be part of a peer learning community with other legislators and will be able to directly engage with leading research and policy experts in the field.
"I am honored to have been selected to participate in this important and timely policy fellowship; a fellowship that has the potential to save lives," said Baker, whose oldest son, Dan, died seven years ago from an opioid addiction.
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"The tragic consequences of opioid abuse have touched the lives of thousands, if not millions of families across this country," Baker said Wednesday in a news release.
"For many, it may seem like a problem that could not possibly happen in your neighborhood or your home, but the reality is that this illness takes hold of folks from all walks of life; often times through no fault of their own. It's time to put an end to this epidemic."
Baker, who said he was motivated to seek public office to serve the memory of his son, has worked on opioid addiction issues since he was first elected in 2014.
