Dear Friends,
We are nearly half way through this legislative session! The weeks have really flown by, but in that time I have heard so many great ideas for legislation, many of them from people in our district. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to stop by, write, or call with your input. I love hearing from local people!
House Broadband Proposal
Most of the policy committees have had their final hearings and are beginning to introduce their omnibus bills. We are starting to find out what provisions have been included. I'm happy to say we have some really good legislation in those omnibus bills that will benefit us in Greater Minnesota. Particularly encouraging to me is the House GOP broadband plan.
The $7 million portion of broadband funding in this plan that is specifically designated for education especially excites me. It provides a lot of potential for students. This education portion includes $5 million for broadband wifi hotspots grants, which would give school districts the option to purchase mobile hotspots for students to checkout and use at home, as well as provide wifi hotspots to adult education class students. The remaining $2 million would be used to expand telecommunications access to students, teachers, and community members.
We have also proposed an additional $28 million for building broadband infrastructure using public-private partnerships in rural Minnesota. When this $28 million is combined with federal Connect America Funds, Minnesotans will see a historic investment of almost $100 million in broadband across the state. These funds will be put toward providing broadband to under-served or unserved areas and communities, especially those with a large number of low-income households.
This substantial investment in broadband will help our communities stay competitive with surrounding areas. Access to faster, more reliable internet will mean our students will have more access to resources in the education, and that our businesses will have increased connectivity. I’m very glad we could take this step toward getting broadband to Greater Minnesota!
Great to See Everyone!
This last weekend there were several fun events scheduled in our community. I love coming home on weekends. It's really nice to have community gatherings scheduled where I know I’ll get to chat with a lot of you!
Friday was Riverland Community College’s annual high school welding contest. They had almost 100 students from all around Minnesota and northern Iowa competing. While there, I saw a lot of technology in action - a robotic welder, a 3-D printer, and I even got to try out their virtual welder and painting machine.
I also had a chance to chat with a few students there, including Hunter Darbo. Hunter is a senior at Albert Lea Area Schools and is in the youth apprenticeship program at the high school. Hunter beat me by a long shot on the virtual welding machine. However, I don't feel too bad because he ended up winning first place in the Riverland contest! Way to go, Hunter!
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of visiting with lots of you at the Freeborn County Sheriff’s K-9 fundraising breakfast. Money raised at this breakfast will go towards purchasing a bullet proof vest for the Sheriff’s K-9 Division dog, Stalker. It was amazing to see Stalker in action; Deputy McCain is doing a great job with his dog!
I also enjoyed chatting with teachers, parents, and students at the St. Theodore Elementary’s Auction Extravaganza! This event was organized by St. Theodore’s parent group, and was so much fun. It was great to see people and chat!
As always, I would love your input. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office at (651)296-8216 or by email at Rep.Peggy.Bennett @house.mn with any questions or concerns; I would love to hear from you. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Peggy