The MN Senate Committee on Finance met to discuss SF958 (Westrom) Omnibus agriculture and broadband finance and policy bill.
Here are the barebones highlights:
- The Senate recommends $40 million for broadband grants; $10 million is dedicated to unserved areas and grants need only match 45 percent of project (as opposed to the usual 50 percent). They recommend that if federal funding is available, then that funding be used first up to $80 million for broadband. And they want state funding to extend over two years.
- They have added fixed wireless into the definition of served/ unserved/ underserved and asked the Office of Broadband Development to map wireline and fixed wireless access.
- There was quite a bit of discussion around how to track the federal CVOID money as it impacts state appropriations.
Blandin on Broadband 
To start at 120 million, slash it to 40 million and only use it where federal funds are not available simply stops broadband. The legislature will not even hit their target set back in 2010. Very disappointing.
I think the uncertainty with federal funding is working against state funding, which is frustrating since the state funding seems to aim higher and work most closely with the community.