From Rep. Kaela Berg…

I hope everyone who celebrated holidays this past weekend had a joyful time with friends and family. Legislators just returned from a short break to observe the holidays and are now preparing to head into the second half of the legislative session. …

This week, I presented my bills, HF 4659 and HF 4818, to the House Labor Committee. As Minnesota makes significant investments in broadband deployment, including a substantial infusion from the federal government, we must not only ensure we invest in high-quality broadband infrastructure, but also that the work is done safely and in a way that develops a skilled workforce. HF 4659 establishes guardrails to ensure broadband is not being deployed at the expense of worker safety, public safety, or in ways that compromise critical infrastructure. This bill aims to raise quality and safety standards, reduce turnover, and ensure our deployment of broadband infrastructure produces jobs with family-supporting wages and benefits.