Category Archives: Policy

EVENT March 11: Upcoming Webinar | Broadband and Healthcare: Collaboration, Funding, and Policy

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From the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society…

Join the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society on March 11 at 3:00 p.m. ET for a webinar about the intersections of health, broadband access, and digital inclusion. The relationships tying technology access and use to access to health care, quality of care, and health outcomes have become more visible than ever. As health care and digital inclusion organizations alike recognize that connectivity, devices, and digital skills shape our health, collaboration across sectors is essential.

This webinar will offer ideas for how organizations can collaborate, illustrated with real-world examples. The conversation will also address how health care funding sources can be marshaled to support patients’ and providers’ access and use of technology, as well as the policy considerations associated with expanding technology-enabled healthcare.

Available on the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s YouTube page, the webinar will feature Benton Opportunity Fund Fellow Sara Raza, discussing a series of issue briefs about broadband access and healthcare that she authored, published jointly by Benton and the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School.

Sara Raza, currently Visiting Lecturer at the University of Washington School of Law, will moderate a discussion with:

  • Matt Christie works for the Washington State Health Care Authority in the office of the Medicaid Transformation Project. He oversees the development and implementation of the Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) services under the state’s 1115 Medicaid waiver. Prior to this work, Matt led the state’s Foundational Community Supports program, which delivers crucial supportive housing and supported employment services to the state’s most vulnerable Medicaid recipients.
  • Jon Morrison Winters is the Digital Equity Program and Broadband Manager for the City of Seattle. Prior to coming to Seattle IT in 2022, Jon was a planner with Aging and Disability Services, the Area Agency on Aging for King County, Washington. He holds a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Washington.
  • Amy Sheon is a Digital Health Equity Consultant in Rockville, Maryland, helping ensure that all individuals are able to use technology for health and health care. Amy holds adjunct faculty positions at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Arizona State University. She co-authored Digital Inclusion is a Social Determinant of Health (2021, NJP Digital Medicine) and two recent Policy Briefs for Health Affairs. Amy holds a PhD in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
  • Jamila McLean is the Director of Health Equity for the State Health and Values Strategies program at Princeton University. She supports states in their efforts to transform healthcare systems to be more affordable, equitable, and innovative. Throughout her career, she has championed policy and practice innovations that improve access to Medicaid and other healthcare-related benefits, providing technical assistance to state agencies and their partners. She also conducted research at the Rutgers Institute for Health focused on understanding the role of race, ethnicity, and nativity status on the physical and mental health outcomes of African Americans and Black Caribbeans. She holds a Master of Public Health from the Rutgers School of Public Health and a B.S. from the Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
  • Dr. Pablo Buitron de la Vega is a general internist and preventive medicine physician with a longstanding interest in health professional education and the impact of patients’ attitudes, health beliefs, and social determinants of health (SDOH). He provides clinical care to a majority of Hispanic and Latino patients, an underserved population in healthcare. He is also Program Director of the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (BUSM) Preventative Medicine Residency and an Assistant Professor of Medicine. Dr. Buitron de la Vega is the Medical Director for Boston Medical Center (BMC) THRIVE, a program that systematically screens patients for SDOH and refers them to resources when requested.

Tune in to learn more about the ways in which digital inclusion and healthcare organizations can join forces and contribute to healthy, connected communities.

Register here

MN budget outlook projects $3.7 billion surplus now, no deficit in next biennium

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The Minnesota House reports…

The projected surplus for Fiscal Years 2026-27 is now higher than it was in the November estimate, and no deficit is projected for the next biennium.

“Minnesota’s budget outlook has improved amid significant near-term economic and fiscal uncertainty,” according to the February forecast released Friday by Minnesota Management and Budget.

The 2026-27 biennium projected balance is now $3.7 billion, $1.3 billion higher than November estimates. “A slightly improved economic outlook drives a higher revenue forecast largely driven by more volatile sources of revenue,” according to MMB.

However, spending growth is forecast to outpace revenue growth in the projections through Fiscal Year 2029. The projected General Fund balance for the 2028-29 biennium is now $377 million, but “a significant structural imbalance remains. Shifting policies at the federal level and missing or incomplete data due to recent federal government shutdowns introduce significant uncertainty to the projections,” according to MMB.

The forecast released Friday provides the most recent snapshot of the state’s financial health. It is the first look at projections since the November 2025 forecast of an almost $2.47 billion surplus for the current 2026-27 biennium and a $2.96 billion deficit in the next.

New MN Bill introduced: Funding for a digital platform to provide youth with info on internships and job opportunities (HF3004)

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

From the MN House...

Sponsored by Rep. Samakab Hussein (DFL-St. Paul), HF3004, as amended, would appropriate $1.3 million in Fiscal Year 2027 for a central digital platform to provide youth with information on internships, mentorships and job opportunities across the state.

OBD director Bree Maki speaks to Broadband Communities about local providers’ concerns with BEAD stipulations

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Broadband Communities reports…

Requirements asking providers to submit written statements pledging not to take additional subsidies to complete and operate BEAD projects have had a chilling effect, according to Bree Maki, the director of Minnesota’s office of broadband development.

Maki made the comments in her recent appearance on Beyond the Cable, a Broadband Communities podcast.

She said providers using subsidies from the Universal Service Fund have been most hesitant to participate in the government’s $42.45 billion broadband spend, known as the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

“There’s just a level of uncertainty,” she said, referencing the announcement from Arielle Roth last November directing states to obtain the written statements.

You can listen to the full interview below.

Data center opponents ask MN Legislature to consider statewide moratorium, new regulations

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MPR reports…

Opponents of so-called hyperscale data centers are calling on Minnesota lawmakers to adopt stronger regulations this session, including a two-year pause in new construction.

They say requirements for data centers that the Legislature passed last year aren’t enough to protect communities, residents and the environment from the potential negative impacts of the mega-sized facilities.

“We have no regulatory framework in place to protect our communities and the environment from the detrimental impacts of these facilities,” Eleanor Dolan of Duluth said at a rally Wednesday at the state Capitol.

Data centers are large warehouses that store computer servers and power artificial intelligence. The largest ones cover over a million square feet — the equivalent of dozens of football fields.

Data center developers promise they’ll bring jobs, economic growth and tax revenue. But opponents have voiced concerns about the vast amount of energy and water they consume, plus potential air, noise and light pollution.

Only one hyperscale data center — a Meta facility in Rosemount — is currently under construction in Minnesota. But there are at least a dozen proposed in the state.

Several are in the south Twin Cities metro. But others are in small cities, such as Hermantown, Pine Island and Cannon Falls.

New MN Bill introduced: A bill extending the Legislative Commission on Cybersecurity SF3863

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

From the MN Senate…

Senators Wiklund, Xiong, and Lucero introduced–
S.F. No. 3863: A bill for an act relating to state government; extending the Legislative Commission on Cybersecurity; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 3.888, subdivision 7.
Referred to the Committee on State and Local Government.

New MN Bill introduced: A bill related to energy and data centers

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

From MN Senate…

Senators McEwen, Johnson Stewart, and Maye Quade introduced–
S.F. No. 3968: A bill for an act relating to energy; requiring preapplication filings for large water appropriation projects; adding information to permit applications for large water appropriation projects; specifying the level of environmental review for data centers; removing data centers’ energy consumption from the calculation of a utility’s energy savings goal; exempting data centers from making financial contributions to an energy conservation and optimization plan; depositing fee revenues in an account to be used for energy conservation; modifying the definition of large energy facility; establishing energy requirements for data centers; imposing a fee on data centers; requiring the Public Utilities Commission to establish a new tariff for data centers; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 103G.265, by adding a subdivision; 103G.271, by adding a subdivision; 116D.04, by adding a subdivision; 216B.2402, subdivision 10; 216B.241, subdivisions 1a, 2a; 216B.2421, subdivision 2; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 216B.
Referred to the Committee on Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate.

New MN Bill introduced: A bill to allow some State meetings by interactive technology HF3736

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

The Minnesota House reports…

Freiberg introduced:

HF. 3736,A bill for an act relating to state government; allowing meetings by interactive technology for certain meetings; naming a state board created by the Minnesota Constitution; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 9.021; 11A.03; 94.341.

OPPORTUNITY: MN Technology Advisory Council seats open

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An opportunity from the MN Boards & Commission…

Technology Advisory Council
Vacancies: 1 Seat — State Agency Business Planning – Member

More info…

Membership
The Council will be comprised of the following voting members:
a. Fifteen voting members:
i. Membership includes one member designated by Minnesota Association of Counties; six members appointed by the governor, who are actively involved in business planning for state executive branches; one member appointed by the governor, representative of union that represents state information technology employees; and one member appointed by the governor who is a representative of private business.
ii. Six additional members selected by the Governor and Lieutenant
Governor with private-sector or public-sector IT experience or
experience in academia pertaining to IT
b. Four ex-officio non-voting members:
i. A member of the Minnesota House of Representatives selected by the
Speaker of the House
ii. A member of the Minnesota House of Representatives selected by the
Minority Leader
iii. A member of the Minnesota Senate selected by the Majority Leader
iv. A member of the Minnesota Senate selected by the Minority Leader
The Governor and Lieutenant Governor will designate one of the fifteen voting
members to serve as the Council’s Chair.
Which seals? (Some discrepancy between the email and the website)..
Private Business Representative Private Business Representative Governor 8/18/2025

And

State Agency Business Planning – Member State Agency Business Planning – Member #6 Governor 3/16/2026

New: MN Report of the Technology Advisory Council: cybersecurity, AI, data sharing and production management

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Minnesota has a Technology Advisory Council (TAC). The release an annual report. For someone (like me) who attends all of the MN Broadband Task Force meetings, it’s a next step of sorts of looking to what’s coming toward us and how the state can maximize benefits and minimize risk. Also, from someone who attended the broadband meetings, the discussions happening at the TAC shine a light on the need for ubiquitous broadband. Here’s the executive summary…

Technology shapes how Minnesotans access essential government services — from childcare and healthcare to public safety, licensing, and regulatory oversight. As expectations for speed, security, and transparency rise — and as cyber threats, artificial intelligence, and federal funding uncertainty intensify — Minnesota must modernize in ways that deliver clear public value while protecting privacy, security, and public trust.

The legislature established the TAC in 2021 to provide strategic guidance to MNIT and executive branch agencies on enterprise technology priorities. Drawing on expertise from across the public and private sectors, the TAC helps the state reduce systemic risk, modernize responsibly, and align technology investments with legislative intent and statewide goals. In 2025, the TAC focused on strengthening the enterprise foundations required for effective, accountable government. Building on prior recommendations, the TAC emphasized governance-driven approaches that move Minnesota beyond isolated projects toward durable, scalable capabilities. Across all focus areas, a consistent theme emerged: Lasting public value depends on shared standards, coordinated execution, and sustained investment in people, data, and security. The TAC’s work in 2025 centered on four priority areas:

Advancing responsible artificial intelligence

Minnesota continued to lead in responsible AI adoption by strengthening enterprise governance, shared standards, and workforce readiness. Rather than pursuing AI for its own sake, agencies applied AI to clearly defined use cases that improve efficiency and decision-making while maintaining transparency, auditability, and alignment with Minnesota values.

Reinforcing cybersecurity and operational resilience

In response to an evolving threat landscape — including emerging risks such as quantum computing — and shifting federal support, the TAC prioritized a whole-of-state cybersecurity model. This approach emphasizes shared intelligence, coordinated response, and workforce development to reduce risk and protect critical services across state, local, Tribal Nations, and critical infrastructure partners.

Strengthening data sharing and evidence-based decision-making

The TAC emphasized the need for a coordinated, enterprise approach to data stewardship and sharing. Stronger leadership, clearer legal frameworks, and improved data quality enable agencies to collaborate more effectively, reduce duplication, and deliver faster, more seamless services — while protecting privacy and security.

Modernizing service delivery through product and experience

Recognizing that human-centered services depend on strong product and agile practices, the TAC advanced recommendations to modernize procurement, funding models, leadership engagement, and workforce capacity — shifting government from project completion to sustained value delivery.

The report goes on to provide recommendations for each area.

EVENT Feb 23: Office of Broadband Development presents to MN House Committee on Agriculture Finance and Policy

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The Office of Broadband Development presents to MN House Committee on Agriculture Finance and Policy…

Monday, February 23, 2026 , 1:00 PM

Agriculture Finance and Policy

Co-Chair: Rep. Paul Anderson holds the gavel
Co-Chair: Rep. Rick Hansen
Location: Capitol G3
Agenda:

Please note: Eligibility for the Dairy Assistance, Investment, Relief Initiative (DAIRI) program modified, now HF 3508 (Nelson), is removed from the agenda.
– Update from the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Office of Broadband Development

Live Video

Bills Added

HF3548(Anderson)
Farm down payment assistance program modified.

HF3549(Anderson)
Use of the grain indemnity account modified.

Committee Documents:

(2/20/2026)

(2/20/2026)

(2/20/2026)

(2/20/2026)

Opinion Piece in Star Tribune: Slow down the rapid growth of data centers

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Last year, I noticed a number of local discussion and event seminars on data centers looking to set up iin various Minnestoa towns. With the legislature in session, I suspect we’ll see a few more opinions shared in the near future. The following is an Opinion piece written to the Minnesota Star Tribune…

Put simply, data center proposals are moving faster than policy in Minnesota. The speed of AI investments in data centers is outstripping the ability of the state and communities to protect themselves from their rapacious demands. We need a pause. We are calling on the Legislature to pass a two-year moratorium on data centers so that policymakers can catch up with this fast-moving industry. In those two years, the state should develop recommendations on policies to protect our natural resources and communities. They should look at the potential cumulative impacts of multiple proposed data centers, and they should develop a statewide strategy on where and how we will allow this industry to develop in our state.

Our organizations are tracking at least 21 potential data center proposals. Minnesotans from around the state are calling our organizations daily, concerned about known or suspected data center proposals in their communities. We say “suspected” because, in many cases, it is quite hard to know what is actually being proposed. These projects are moving forward under a cloak of secrecy, often described in vague terms such as “technology park” or “light industrial development.” Even when city officials state that it is a data center, it’s often hard to get details beyond that basic fact.

The letter was submitted by the following…

Organizations that are signatories to this article include the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, CURE, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Mississippi River, Stop the Hermantown Data Center, the Coalition for Responsible Data Center Development, Vote Solar, WaterLegacy and Clean Water Action.

Benton reports on the NTIA Broadband Non-Deployment Listening Sessions

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The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society report on the Non-Deployment Listening Sessions  hosted by National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)…

We’ve been…well, listening in to the listening sessions held by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regarding the use of potential Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program non-deployment funds. This week, NTIA held its second session on the subject, which concluded just before the deadline for written input on what to do with non-deployment funding.

Between the two sessions, roughly 85 people were able to communicate their non-deployment ideas to NTIA staff. Broadband adoption (including affordable broadband, low-cost devices, and digital skills training) is the most supported use mentioned over both meetings. Here’s what speakers said during round two, and how it compares to the first session last week.

Here’s an interesting look at the range of topics…

The two non-deployment listening sessions contained a few recurring themes that steered the conversation amongst everyone who was able to speak. By our estimates, these key topics were mentioned by the speakers at the rates given below:

  1. Broadband Adoption: Affordability, Device Access & Digital Literacy  –  43 (times mentioned by speakers)

  2. Workforce Development –  22

  3. Broadband Affordability  – 13

  4. Regional/Local Flexibility – 13

  5. Permitting Reform – 12

  6. Middle Mile & AI infra – 12

  7. Public Safety & Emergency Response/911 – 9

  8. More Infrastructure – 7

  9. EdTech/Kids Safety – 7

  10. Return Funds to Treasury – 5

  11. Wireless infra – 5
  12. Mapping/Data Collection – 4
  13. Tribal broadband –  3
  14. Air Traffic Control – 1
  15. Radio Technology – 1

 

 

New MN Bill introduced: A bill for an act relating to data privacy HF3353

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

From the MN House:

Freiberg, Bahner and Moller introduced:

HF. 3353,A bill for an act relating to data privacy; expanding personal information protections for judicial officials to state legislators; creating a legislative task force to study personal information protections for government officials; requiring a report; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, sections 480.40, subdivision 1; 480.45, subdivision 2.

MN Broadband Task Force meeting Feb 2026: Rural Health Research and Technologist Computers

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The Broadband Task Force met today. Their stated goal is to focus on education in the first few months of the year. Today they heard from folks at the Mayo on rural health research and from a Task Force member Ini Augustine who does digital equity work in Hennepin County through Technologist Computers. They also got an update from the Office of Broadband Development.

Meeting Agenda Continue reading →