Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Dan McElroy will present a legislative update next week in Redwood Falls and Fergus Falls on the state’s Jobs Opportunity Building Zone program.

JOBZ, which provides tax and other incentives to business to locate or expand in economically stressed portions of rural Minnesota, came under fire during the 2008 legislative session. It survived efforts from some lawmakers seeking its dismantling.

The sessions also will look at a new infrastructure application process, grant updates on the Framework for Integrated Regional Strategies, Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development, regional innovation grants and E-Verify, a new federal program that helps employers to electronically verify employment eligibility of new employees.

The DEED event is free and open to the public, including economic and workforce development officials, elected officials, business owners and managers and media members.

The Redwood Falls Community Center, 901 Cook St., hosts on Wednesday July 9, while Minnesota State Community and Technical College, 1414 College Way, Legacy Hall, Fergus Falls is host on Thursday, July 10. The events include 9 a.m. to noon legislative updates and DEED overviews, and 1 to 4 p.m. presentations on JOBZ training.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com [2].)