Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Significant Federal Funding to Expand and Upgrade I-94 in Wright County
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they have secured $3 million in federal funding through the Fiscal Year 2023 budget to expand and upgrade a stretch of the Interstate 94 (I-94) highway in Wright County. “This federal funding will help expand and upgrade I-94, improving safety and mobility on this critical route. I am proud to have worked with local leaders to secure this funding, and I know that these resources will make a real difference for so many communities,” said Klobuchar. “The I-94 expansion project will improve access to the Interstate and reduce traffic for those traveling throughout the region,” said Smith. “Relieving congestion and making our roadways safer and more accessible is integral to keeping communities connected to jobs, local businesses, school, health care, and other important services. I’m proud of the work we did with local leaders to secure funding for this project.” This project continues efforts over the past decade to improve I-94 from Maple Grove through Clearwater, including an overlay from Fish Lake Interchange to West of Highway 101, the Dayton Parkway Interchange, lane expansion from St. Michael to Rogers, and reconstruction and expansion from Monticello to Clearwater. This would continue the process of clearing the bottleneck between Albertville and Monticello, and create a seamless 6-lane passage of traffic which is anticipated to result in continued economic development and increased safety. Klobuchar and Smith have been actively involved in securing this federal funding for projects benefiting communities across the state through
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Bipartisan Legislation to Provide Transparency For Those Looking to Purchase Popular Long-Term Savings Vehicles Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced her bipartisan legislation with Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) to help provide transparency for consumers looking to purchase popular, long-term savings vehicles was signed into law as part of the bipartisan government funding bill. The law will help ensure that investors considering purchasing Registered Index Linked Annuities (RILAs) get clear and direct information that promotes investor understanding. “It’s more important than ever for consumers to have clear and concise information about their investments,” said Smith. “This legislation would help consumers looking to purchase RILAs by providing clear information about their potential investments in terms that they are able to understand. I hope this legislation will offer a model for how disclosures can and should be designed with consumers in mind. I am proud of our work to get this bill across the finished line and signed into law.” The sale of RILAs, which are tax-deferred, long-term investments often used for retirement, have grown rapidly in recent years. However, the lack of a tailored form for registering these products with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) often results in long, dense disclosures that are incomprehensible to the typical purchaser. The Registration for Index-Linked Annuities Act offers a model for how disclosures can be designed with the needs of investors in mind. By directing the SEC to develop a tailored RILA registration form, the bill will help ensure that investors have the information they need to determine whether the product makes sense for their
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Pushes For Public Companies to Disclose Risks from Climate Change
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/10/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced that she is pushing for new requirements for publicly traded companies to disclose critical information about how much they are contributing to climate change, including the extent of their greenhouse gas emissions and their exposure to climate risk. Originally introduced in 2018, the Climate Risk Disclosure Act will help investors appropriately assess climate-related risks, accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner and more efficient energy sources, and reduce the risks of both environmental and financial catastrophe. It builds on the work of former Vice President Al Gore, who has warned that ignoring the risks of climate change is producing a “carbon bubble” that will have
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Joins Bipartisan Push to Expand U.S. Grain Exports to Canada
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/09/19]— Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined a bipartisan group of Senators pushing Trump Administration trade officials to negotiate fewer restriction on U.S. grain exports to Canada under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA). The Senators pressed for action in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Gregg Doud. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) joined Sen. Smith on the letter. “The grain article in the agreement is a significant area of interest for North Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana grain producers,” the senators wrote. “The ability for our growers to export wheat of domestic origin to
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Small Business Innovation with Energy Department National Labs
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/27/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) along with Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.), James Risch (R-Ind.), and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced bipartisan legislation to allow small businesses to gain access to premier facilities at the Department of Energy (DOE) National Labs to spur innovation and the culture of private-public collaboration. The Small Businesses Partnering with National Labs Act of 2019—which has a House companion bill introduced by Reps. Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.)—will allow small businesses to analyze the innovation potential of new technologies by accessing facilities and expertise at National Labs to
U.S. Senators Smith and Cramer Introduce Bold, Bipartisan Bill to Bring Down Cost of Insulin, Hold Manufacturers Accountable
WASHINGTON, D.C. [06/27/19]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced bipartisan legislation to bring down the cost of insulin and to hold insulin manufacturers accountable for excessive increases in the price of the life-sustaining medicine. The bill—announced last week in Minneapolis and introduced today in remembrance of Minnesotan Alec Smith, who tragically passed away two years ago today after rationing his insulin—would provide emergency access to insulin for people in Minnesota, North Dakota, and across the country who can’t afford the skyrocketing price of the drug that they need to stay alive. You can access a summary
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