Tag: Adam Gregg

With four months now on the job, Smith is in the thick of the legislative process with, among other things, the new farm bill on her plate. But beyond what may be seen as the traditional elements of a farm bill, Smith says she is also going to work to champion better nutrition programs that are typically association with farm bill legislation; programs that help people who may not be able to help themselves right now. But Smith then says there is a third component she is trying to work into the farm bill. "Our farm bill needs to include strong rural development programs like, for example, what I'm proposing to help expand rural broadband." But having easy access to broadband in rural areas also makes those areas more likely to land new businesses and new residents. "The Lewis and Clark project is extremely important. Smith worked very hard to get state funding to complete the Minnesota section of the Lewis and Clark project. "The state has been backfilling the funding that the federal government was supposed to be providing. So we really have to make the federal government stand up to its agreement. So far the feds haven't done that and it has cost the state of Minnesota $41 million and climbing.