Broadband Communities reports…

A bill in Minnesota that would take effect this August if signed by the governor will mandate the state’s broadband office to prioritize companies that meet strict new workplace standards when awarding grants.

The bill, HF 5242, was passed in both the Minnesota house and senate last week. The legislation had been opposed by organizations like the Minnesota Cable Communications Association, the Minnesota Telecom Alliance, and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association.

All three organizations, in a letter sent to the governor earlier this month published by Broadband Breakfast, expressed “dire concern” that the legislation will cause some of the $1.3 billion in funding for Minnesota through the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program to be left unused.

The proposed bill “would effectively require BEAD funded projects to be prevailing wage projects,” according to the May 2 letter, signed by leaders from all three organizations, which was sent to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D).

Language in the letter also took aim at text that, if signed into law, “creates an unjustified, burdensome new broadband installer certification program.”

“We’re not claiming we have a spotless safety record. All we ask for is fact-based legislation,” the letter stated, while pointing to numbers that the letter argued reflect a steady decline of incidents causing damage to underground facilities since 2020.

“We want to be clear: This language will essentially make it impossible for any internet service provider in the state to participate in the BEAD or any other future border-to border grant program,” the letter stated. “Broadband investment to the remaining unserved areas of Minnesota will come to a halt. Proponents of the legislation may call this a victory, but it will be a hollow one.”