Sen. Smith to begin Rural Economic Working Group to tackle rural issues

WASHINGTON – Minnesota Senator Tina Smith will host her first meeting of the rural economic working group with a bipartisan group of senators tomorrow.

She created the group with Senators Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin to bring local ideas to Washington. The idea is to see how the federal government can lift up rural communities.

The group will meet with experts in agriculture, rural housing and healthcare.

Smith says one thing she hears talking with people in small towns is how they’re trying to revitalize their main streets.

“That attracts new businesses. It attracts people who want to come and live in communities that have a real sense of personality. I don’t know that the federal government is doing enough to support that kind of innovation and entrepreneurship,” Smith explained.

Moorhead is seeking input on its downtown master plan. It wants to see which activities, programs and public spaces people would like to see.

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