The International Falls Journal asks the House members to reconsider their budgets for higher education, early education and broadband to make a difference in Northern Minnesota…

The bill also fell short in funding broadband for rural Minnesota at a greater level and addressing the high costs of child care in the state. With the appropriate funding and resources, the bill could have gone a long ways in improving at a very base level the quality of life and ability to draw new businesses and workers to places like Rainy Lake.

The House supplemental bill may feel like a missed opportunity by our elected leaders to make a huge difference in the lives of people who live and work in rural Minnesota. The conference committee has a chance to change that and we urge them to consider the needs of rural and northern Minnesotans as they begin to seek a middle ground on the supplemental budget.