AgWeek posts a letter from Senator Westrom…

On a broad bipartisan vote, the Minnesota State Senate passed our comprehensive agriculture, rural development, and housing budget bill. As the chief author of the legislation, I am proud that legislators on both sides of the aisle worked together to support rural broadband expansion, invest in affordable manufactured housing and home ownership, prioritized value-added agriculture opportunities that directly impact farmers, and increased resources for farmer mental health services in Minnesota.

Details on the broadband portion…

Further, the bill funds the Minnesota Border-to-Border Rural Broadband expansion program at $30 million, a significant increase in the Minnesota Legislature’s appropriation over the last biennium. From health care to education, to agribusiness, broadband access is essential to our way of life in the 21st century. Communities that lack access to broadband cannot flourish. This significant investment addresses this issue head-on.

While the Senate is talking about $30 million for broadband, the Governor and House are talking about $70 million.