The Grand Forks Herald recently ran an interesting take on broadband as a political tool to help “build consensus by meeting rural needs.”

The premise of the editorial is that broadband can help smooth the politics, build trust and be a springboard to greater political cooperation…

Come to terms on the two big issues affecting rural Minnesota. Because getting to “yes” not only would put rural Minnesotans in a good mood, but also would build trust among the party leaders, and oil the negotiating gears.

And here’s specifically what they say about broadband…

House and Senate leaders should take advantage of Minnesota’s budget surplus, fund this vital program generously and move on.

▇ And here’s a place they can move on to: making sure rural Minnesotans have broadband access, exactly as metro-area residents have grown accustomed to.

Businesses run on broadband Internet connections these days—and iPhone- and iPad-toting Americans do as well.

But as happened in the 1920s, when electricity kept lighting up more and more American cities, small towns lag far behind. “In 1934, less than 11 percent of U.S. farms had electricity,” as Wikipedia recounts. Enter rural electrification: “By 1942, nearly 50 percent of U.S. farms had electricity, and by 1952, almost all US farms had electricity.”

Rural areas’ access to broadband can and should undergo the same transition. Democrats and Republicans in St. Paul should resolve to make that happen—and in doing so, they could set the stage for broader agreements, restoring Minnesotans’ trust in government and avoiding the shutdown that residents dread