Latest Releases
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Provision Reconnecting Community to Area Around Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock to Be Signed into Law
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) announced her provision, written along with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN05) to expand community access to land around the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock, passed the Senate as part of the Water Resources Development Act and is expected to be signed into law. The provision directs the Army Corps of Engineers to minimize the space they use around the lock and dam as much as possible, while maintaining access for safety and maintenance purposes, to make room for the development of a public recreation space. Redevelopment for a recreational space is being led by Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, a Dakota-led non-profit. “Minnesotans value our lakes and rivers, and this provision recognizes that,” said Senator Smith. “This policy change is a key step to reopening the area around the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam for the community to enjoy while ensuring the lock and dam infrastructure continues protecting Minneapolis’ water supply and protecting Lake Superior from invasive carp.” ###
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
Klobuchar, Smith Secure Significant Federal Funding for Kellogg Bridge Infrastructure Improvements
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that they have secured significant federal funding in the Fiscal Year 2023 federal budget to make infrastructure improvements to the Kellogg Bridge in St. Paul. These resources will replace the outdated, 80-year-old eastbound bridge, bolstering multi-modal safety and access. “By enabling the much-needed upgrade of the Kellogg Bridge, this project will help strengthen bridge safety and provide Minnesotans with safer and easier access to downtown St. Paul,” said Klobuchar. “I am proud to have worked with local leaders to push for this funding, and I know that these resources will
U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s Bipartisan Bill to Improve Rural Health Care Signed Into Law
WASHINGTON [01/06/23] – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Co-Chairs of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, announced that their bipartisan bill to improve rural health care was signed into law by President Biden. The State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) Reauthorization Act of 2022 will reauthorize a key program that supports health facilities in rural areas across the country. “When I meet with families, farmers, businesses and community leaders in greater Minnesota, one of the first issues that comes up is health care,” said Smith. “This bipartisan legislation will help make sure State Offices of Rural Health
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Statement on Recent Decisions by FDA and Justice Department Protecting Access to Medication Abortion
WASHINGTON [1/6/22] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement on recent announcements by the FDA and Justice Department regarding the availability of abortion pills: “These two decisions by the Justice Department and the FDA are big steps in the right direction and will ensure millions of women across the country have access to medication abortion. But these decisions can be overturned by a future administration and we need more permanent solutions. By attacking and undermining access to safe and effective medications, Republicans are saying that government – not women, not their health care providers – should
U.S. Senators Smith, Klobuchar Announce Major Investments to Expand Renewable Energy, Lower Energy Bills for Minnesotans
WASHINGTON [12/22/22] – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-Minn.) announced over $21.6 million in federal funding to lower energy costs, combat climate change, and expand access to clean energy for Minnesotans. The funding – made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act– is based on Senator Smith’s legislation to help rural communities install renewable energy systems and will be distributed across nearly 150 projects throughout the state. The projects will save Minnesota businesses and families thousands of dollars a year in energy costs while reducing harmful greenhouse emissions. “The transition to clean energy is happening, the question
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