Last ngith there was a 90 minute Gubernatorial Forum in Willmar with Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate Tim Walz and Republican candidate Jeff Johnson. Broadband came up.

Here’s what the Duluth News Tribune (and Pioneer Press) reports…

On the rural economic development barriers of access to broadband, quality child care and affordable housing, both candidates agreed on the need for government incentives to develop broadband access in rural areas.

Johnson said he didn’t like government competing with business, but he does support a state program “that provides incentives to the private sector to step up.”

Walz likened the need for broadband to rural electrification in the last century.