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U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Announce Clean Energy Projects for Minnesota Farms, Small Businesses in Rural Areas
[MINNEAPOLIS, MN] – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN), members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced funding awards for 10 farms and small businesses across rural and Greater Minnesota to install clean energy technology. This round of funding for Minnesota totals $1.3 million. This year alone, Minnesota has seen over 170 clean energy projects in small towns and rural places thanks to the Rural Energy for America Program. “The clean energy transition is happening; the question is whether we lead or follow. I want us to lead,” said Senator Smith. “But as we make the switch to cleaner, cheaper energy, we need to make sure everyone benefits. That’s one reason programs like REAP, which helps rural communities install renewable energy systems, are so important. These investments will save farms and small businesses across Minnesota thousands of dollars a year in energy costs while helping reduce harmful emissions.” “Investing in long-term energy is a win-win for rural customers and businesses,” said Senator Klobuchar. “With this federal funding, we’re taking a big step toward deploying new energy technologies to power rural communities across Minnesota for decades to come.” Projects included can be found in the table below. The funding is specifically set aside for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to install renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. The projects are possible thanks to the Renewable Energy for America (REAP) program, which Senator Smith championed and strengthened in the Inflation Reduction Act, which both Senators supported. Senator Smith continues to prioritize
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Tribal Leaders Announce Tribal Public Safety Projects
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, announced funding for seven public safety initiatives for four Minnesota Tribes. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Red Lake Band of Chippewa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and White Earth Nation received federal funding ranging between $450,000 and $900,000 for various Tribal programs aimed at increasing Tribal capacity to respond to violent crime, opioid abuse, and assist victims. Projects will be tailored to each Tribe’s unique needs, from expanding Tribal Courts’ capacities for home visits and supervision, to hiring staff to investigate child abuse and neglect cases, to onboarding personnel who coordinate resources to help those dealing with opioid addiction. Tribal leadership in Minnesota have long advocated for greater federal assistance for Tribal public safety efforts to respond to the opioid epidemic and violent crime. “Tribal leaders have been consistently clear that they need more support from the federal government to combat the opioid epidemic and prosecute crimes on their lands, and we have a trust responsibility to assist Tribal governments to keep their people safe,” said Senator Tina Smith. “Tribes know best how to reduce crime and substance abuse on their lands. These grants are directly supporting Tribally-driven solutions to these challenges.” “This grant is crucial in enhancing our ability to respond to the opioid epidemic. By bringing on additional staff, we will improve our efforts to connect those affected by addiction with the resources they need for recovery. Our goal is to reduce
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Federal Funding to Boost Tribal Entrepreneurship at Mille Lacs Band
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $3.1 million in federal funding for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Onamia, Minnesota to boost tribal entrepreneurship. Specifically, the funding, provided through the American Rescue Plan’s Indigenous Communities program, will enable the construction of a tribal business incubator to help small businesses and start-ups access technical assistance they need to increase and expand their operations. “This federal funding will make a real difference for the Mille Lacs Band Reservation, helping establish a business incubator that will boost small
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Responds to the Supreme Court Overturning Roe
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade: “This is a terrible day for America. Roe v. Wade has been overturned. “For almost 50 years, American women have had the freedom and constitutional right to make their own decisions about abortion. This right respected individual autonomy and the capacity of people to make good, moral decisions about abortion. This activist Supreme Court—and the Republican Senators and President who put them there—have gutted that right, because they think they know better than American women,
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Statement on the Passage of the Bipartisan Gun Safety Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) issued the following statement in response to the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act: “This is the most important step Congress has taken in nearly three decades to curb gun violence and I was proud to vote for it. This legislation will reduce gun violence, improve our mental health systems, and while we need to do much more, these reforms will save lives and improve public safety. I am especially grateful to Senator Chris Murphy for his tireless work on this issue since the tragedy at Sandy Hook, and to
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith Announce Extended Postpartum Health Coverage for Minnesotans
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced that Minnesota has received approval to extend postpartum coverage for 12 months to individuals enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The extended coverage is made possible by the American Rescue Plan, which Senators Klobuchar and Smith helped pass last year. “We must address our nation’s unacceptably high maternal mortality rates. Having long fought to improve care for new mothers and babies, this issue is personal to me, and it’s personal to moms across our state,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “I pushed for this funding to
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