$130 million in federal funding to go toward state projects

(ABC 6 News) – Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar helped to secure 130 million dollars from the federal government to support projects across the state including a number of projects locally.

The funding will go to projects to help Minnesota’s infrastructure, increase access to workforce development programs and provide resources and training for law enforcement.

Rochester City Council President Brooke Carlson shared how the funding will directly impact people in Rochester including people of color and indigenous communities..

"This goes with some of the critical focus in our city, around providing education, training, supportive services, and changes to work cultural. As well as contracting and hiring in our communities of color, particularly women and the construction industry," Carlson said.

There are more than 70 projects including:

• $935,000 for the City of Rochester to replace 40-year-old unreliable water reclamation plant equipment
• $750,000 for the City of Rochester to address barriers to entry and advancement for women of color within construction and related fields
• $825,000 for Minnesota State College Southeast to enhance the campus’s modern learning space for nursing students
• $500,000 for the Rochester Police Department to adopt a Records Management System (RMS) that integrates the agency’s mobile video and digital storage technologies into a cloud-based report writing and storage solution.
• $3.2 million for Goodhue County to provide broadband coverage to multiple rural unserved and under-served areas.

“This federal funding will have a real impact for Rochester and Southeast Minnesota. From making infrastructure improvements to expanding access to broadband and workforce development programs, these projects will address key issues impacting Minnesotans on a daily basis. I am proud to have worked with leaders from across Rochester and Southeast Minnesota to secure the resources for these projects, and I look forward to seeing all the good they will do,” said Klobuchar.