Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Funding for Revitalizing Olson Memorial Highway
[Washington, DC] – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced federal funding to restore and revitalize the 6thAvenue North corridor, an area in North Minneapolis that was devastated by the construction of Olson Memorial Highway in the 1940s. The project will include converting the roadway to reconnect the area’s residents and promote new housing and commercial development and modeling the project’s impacts on environmental justice and racial equity. The funding was awarded to Open Streets Minneapolis thanks to President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, which both Senators supported. “The 6th Avenue North corridor in Minneapolis is in need of upgrades to better protect drivers and pedestrians and reconnect residents,” said Klobuchar. “With this funding, Our Streets Minneapolis can begin the revitalization project and lay the groundwork needed to advance these improvements.” “North 6th Avenue was once home to one of Minneapolis’ most diverse immigrant communities,” said Smith. “When Olson Memorial Highway was built, the neighborhood’s deep cultural connections were torn apart in the process. This project is the first step to restoring what redlining and systemic racism stole from the community.” North 6th Avenue was home to a bustling working-class neighborhood and was one of Minneapolis’ most diverse and welcoming areas for immigrants known for its affordable housing. The community began to suffer following federal redlining, which labeled Near North as a poor investment and led to segregation. The construction of Olson Memorial Highway accelerated the neighborhood’s decline. The $1.6 million in funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot program, the
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Laphonza Butler Introduce Legislation to Combat LGBTQ+ Mental Health Crisis
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D – Minn.) and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) — the first Black and openly LGBTQ+ senator to serve in the Senate — led five Senate colleagues in introducing the Pride in Mental Health Act which would strengthen mental health and crisis intervention resources for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. “Mental health care is health care. And for some LGBTQ+ youth, receiving access to the mental health care they need can mean the difference between living in safety and dignity, and suffering alone through discrimination, bullying, and even violence,” said Senator Smith. “The data shows what many parents and educators see every day—an epidemic of students in classrooms dealing with anxiety, depression and other serious mental health conditions, with nowhere to turn. Meeting LGBTQ+ students where they already are—in school—helps us break down the stigma they might face and get kids the health care they need.” “Accessing mental health care and support has become increasingly difficult in nearly every state in the country,” said Senator Butler. “Barriers get even more difficult if you are a young person who lacks a supportive community or is fearful of being outed, harassed, or threatened. I am introducing the Pride in Mental Health Act to help equip LGBTQ+ youth with the resources to get the affirming and often life-saving care they need.” LGBTQ+ youth experience disproportionate rates of mental health challenges. A 2023 study found that 54 percent of LGBTQ+ youth reported symptoms of depression, while only 35 percent of heterosexual youth reported similar feelings. LGBTQ+ high school students
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses Treasury, Small Business Administration to Support Cooperatives, Rural Hospitals and Businesses in Minnesota, Across Nation By Making Firms Eligible for Paycheck Protection Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/23/20]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—a member of the Senate Banking, Indian Affairs, Health and Agriculture Committees—is pressing the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to support workers, small businesses and families by opening eligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to additional businesses. Sen. Smith has heard from constituents and Minnesota businesses denied access to PPP assistance. Sen. Smith is pressing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza to open the program to those firms that are key employers in Minnesota who have been denied access due to program rules or
U.S. Senators Push for Sens. Smith, Moran’s Bipartisan Legislation to Make Oral Cancer Medications More Affordable
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/24/20]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) led a bipartisan group of senators in calling on House and Senate leadership to make sure the next coronavirus relief package includes their Cancer Drug Parity Act, which would make sure oral cancer drugs are covered in the same way as traditional intravenous (IV) chemotherapy. Right now, doctors are advising cancer patients to stay at home as much as possible. Switching to oral medications when medically appropriate would allow for patients to self-administer and stay in their homes, but making the switch to oral medications may not be financially feasible. Sens. Smith and
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Loan Eligibility for Farmers Included in Interim Coronavirus Relief Package Passed by Senate
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced that farmers in Minnesota and across the country are now eligible for additional disaster loan relief under the most recent coronavirus relief package passed unanimously by the Senate. Under a bill passed by the Senate this week, agricultural enterprises will become eligible for the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Emergency Economic Assistance Grant (EEAG) programs. These key changes will allow farmers to be eligible low-interest loans from the federal government, as well as grants of up to $10,000 to help farmers get through the coronavirus pandemic. This important provision
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, John Hoeven Lead Bipartisan Push to Treasury Department, Small Business Administration to Ensure Eligibility of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Paycheck Protection Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. [04/22/20]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) led a bipartisan group of senators in urging the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to clarify that rural electric cooperatives are eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support small businesses and help them maintain payroll and cover expenses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Some lenders are approving PPP loans for electric cooperatives, while other lenders are refusing to do so without further guidance from the SBA. Rural electric cooperatives have urged
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