Yesterday on the Senate floor, the omnibus agriculture and rural development budget bill (SF 958) passed. The bill includes $40 million for border-to-border broadband expansion and an additional $80 million if federal funds become available. The bill contains no new funding to support Minnesota farmers and people living in rural places as Minnesota emerges from a year long pandemic.
The Minnesota Senate passed legislation Thursday providing approximately $50 million for the Rural Finance Authority for user financed loans. Senator Kent Eken (DFL-Twin Valley) voted in favor of the bill.
Senator Karla Bigham (DFL-Cottage Grove) will announce legislation for the 2020 Legislative Session that would make milk the default beverage for children’s meals in the state. She will be joined by health advocates and representatives from Minnesota’s dairy industry in support of making this the statewide standard.
Agriculture Commissioner Thom Peterson and DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen will be attending a Community Forum, hosted and moderated by Sen. Nick Frentz (DFL-North Mankato).
A bill authored by Sen. Nick Frentz (DFL-N. Mankato) and Rep. Clark Johnson (DFL-N. Mankato) that would make rollover protection kits more affordable for school farming programs passed with unanimous, bipartisan support in the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Policy Committee. Rollover protection kits include a roll bar and a safety belt, which are 99 percent effective in preventing death or serious injury in rollover accidents.