Latest Releases
In Big Win for Minnesotans in Lake, St. Louis and Cook Counties, U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Bill to Support Counties Passes Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement after her bill to provide critical federal funding for hosting federal wilderness lands passed the Senate: “Thye-Blatnik payments have been a vital source of revenue for Cook, St. Louis and Lake Counties in northeastern Minnesota since 1948. But in 2018, a suspect and likely wrong reappraisal led to massive potential cuts in county revenue, which would have devastating impacts for communities in Northern Minnesota,” said Sen. Smith. “Today, after years of work with the Trump and Biden Administrations to reappraise and correctly uphold the value of this one-of-a-kind wilderness, I am pleased that my bill to permanently fix this issue has passed the United States Senate. My bill provides financial certainty and security to these counties and a permanent fix to the problem. I look forward to seeing this bipartisan and urgently needed legislation quickly move through the House of Representatives and go to the President’s desk so it can be signed into law.” The Counties benefit from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) as a world-renowned tourist destination, but they also forgo property taxes and other potential revenue streams. Congress passed the Thye-Blatnik Act over 70 years ago, which directed the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire lands within the future BWCAW and set up a system of annual compensation payments to the host counties. These funds go towards essential services like roadway infrastructure and public safety, and help the counties accurately plan their budgets. When the most recent appraisal in 2018 suggested that there
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Celebrates Rural Broadband Announcements in Minnesota
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced three grants from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide high-speed, reliable internet to residents in rural Minnesota. Over 5,000 people will benefit from these awards. Recipients include 139 different businesses and 368 farms across the state. “Internet access is not just a luxury in the 21st century, it’s a necessity,” said Senator Smith. “In Minnesota and across the country, people in rural areas, small towns, and Tribal communities need access to reliable, high-speed internet. Investing in broadband infrastructure with the ReConnect Grant Program will help connect communities in every part of the country to high-speed internet and I am proud to have helped bring this funding back to Minnesota.” Three organizations across Minnesota were awarded money: The investment comes from USDA Rural Development’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program and totals $44,433,314 for all three awards. ReConnect provides loans and grants to bring high-speed internet to rural areas that lack access to broadband. ###
Sen. Smith’s Bipartisan Bill to Help Tribes Pursue Justice for Crimes of Sexual Violence Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON [03/24/22]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee—announced that her bipartisan legislation, which will restore Tribal criminal jurisdiction over crimes of sexual violence committed by non-Native offenders on Tribal lands, was signed into law. According to the National Institute of Justice, over half of all Native American women—56 percent—and more than one in four Native men have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes. And among those, almost all—96 percent of women and 89 percent of men—were victimized by a non-Native offender. Yet, few survivors ever see justice. The Justice for Native Survivors of Sexual Violence
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces $400,000 in Federal Funding Ensuring 100 Jobs for East Central Minnesota
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/24/22]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced $400,000 in federal funding for the East Central Regional Development Commission (ECRDC). These funds were made available by the ‘Revolving Loan Fund’ provided by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, which Senator Smith helped pass last year. “The American Rescue Plan Act continues to make significant impacts for small businesses and entrepreneurs across Minnesota,” said Sen. Smith. “The last two years have been incredibly challenging but our economy is recovering. This fund will create 50 new jobs and save 50 existing jobs – ensuring 100 people will continue to be able to
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement Announcing Her Support for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/24/22]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement announcing her intention to vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States: “I will be voting to confirm Judge Jackson to the Supreme Court. “This is an exciting moment. I’ve been following the hearings closely, and Judge Jackson has shown character, intellect, and grace. “If confirmed, Judge Jackson would be the first Black woman and first former federal public defender on the Supreme Court. I have full confidence that she will protect the freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution and uphold the
Sen. Tina Smith Introduces Legislation to Ensure Accurate, Thorough Education about Native Peoples
WASHINGTON [3.24.22] – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that she has introduced significant legislation to improve public education and understanding about Native peoples and their histories. Accurate, thorough education about Native peoples benefits all students, Native and non-Native alike. Unfortunately, the education most students receive regarding Native histories and cultures is woefully inadequate. For example, nearly half of Americans say that what they were taught in schools about Native Americans was inaccurate and in most K-12 classrooms, students are not taught about Native peoples at all post-1900. Furthermore, teachers rate “history of Native American peoples” and “pre-Columbian American history
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