Lawmakers Consider Bills on Community TV Grants and Broadband Franchising

The Equal Access to Broadband Act was heard, along with a proposal that would provide funding to support local TV channels.

During the week of March 17, Minnesota lawmakers considered two bills related to telecommunications and broadband access. The House Legacy Finance Committee reviewed a proposal geared toward supporting local public, educational, and governmental television channels, while the Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee examined legislation that would give local governments the authority to franchise internet providers. Both bills received committee support and were laid over for possible inclusion in future omnibus bills.

Community TV grants

On March 19, the House legacy committee heard HF 1740 (Rep. Danny Nadeau, R-Rogers), which would provide a grant to the Minnesota Association of Community Telecommunications Administrators (MACTA). The grant would be used to support local public, educational, or governmental cable television channels in providing programming that fosters community and civic engagement.

As amended, the bill would appropriate $7.5 million in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. It received strong committee support and was passed and laid over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus legacy funding bill.

Equal access to broadband bill

On March 21, the Senate broadband and rural development committee heard the Equal Access to Broadband Act, which received significant attention last session. The bill, SF 2045 (Sen. Ann Rest, DFL New Hope), would allow local governments to franchise internet providers similar to how they currently franchise cable providers. The proposal is supported by the League, and the Minnesota Association of Telecommunication Administrators.

Plymouth City Manager Dave Callister, testifying on behalf of the League, highlighted how the streaming industry has evolved and emphasized the need to update Minnesota’s laws governing local franchises and the private use of public rights-of-way.

However, the bill faced opposition from cable companies and their associations, saying that it would create an unaffordable “new tax” and impede on the state’s goal of achieving border-to-border broadband access.

The bill was also passed and laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.

Read more news articles.