Government leaders are acting with urgency to get underserved communities connected with high speed internet but in Minnesota, underground digging for broadband installation is emerging as a safety concern.

This spring, the think tank North Star Policy Action issued a report noting over the past three years, such installations were the leading cause of damage to buried infrastructure in the state.

Aaron Rosenthal, research director for the North Star Policy Action, said telecommunications crews are coming in contact with a maze of electric lines and natural gas pipes, with the drilling averaging more than 1.25 strikes a day.

"That's a level of damage that we think is very concerning," Rosenthal asserted. "It stands out from other industries and we believe needs to be addressed. Minnesotans should not have to choose between high speed internet and their own safety."

The data is from a trade organization and Rosenthal warned because it is provided voluntarily, the full scope of damage is unclear. The authors contended workers receive inadequate training and a bill in the Legislature would beef up standards. Skeptics worry about effects such as derailing progress on broadband goals with a wave of federal funding spurring projects.

But the researchers and labor leaders predicted the accelerated pace of installations will result in more incidents.

Octavio Chung Bustamante, Minnesota and North Dakota field organizer and marketing representative for the Laborers' International Union of North America, said the workers, many of whom are immigrants, are putting their lives at risk without getting a prevailing wage.

"When you talk about underground work -- electric, or gas, or water and sewers -- a lot of those workers, you know, they earn a good living," Bustamante observed. "But it's a different game for broadband work."

The legislative push also includes provisions to set fair wages for broadband installation workers. As for the data, a key state agency notes overall damage from utility excavation has trended downward. The researchers said it is a symptom of reporting requirement issues, underscoring their argument the information is incomplete.

As Michiganders hit the road this holiday weekend, state lawmakers are brainstorming ways to help close the state's $3.9 billion road funding gap. One idea is the Road Usage Pilot Program, to add tolls and mileage fees for using some of the most heavily traveled highways in the state.

The pilot study is still in early stages of discussion, but it could mean a 6-cents-per-mile fee for drivers, which could raise $1 billion to fix Michigan's decaying roads.

House Transportation Budget chair Rep. Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton, said road funding comes from a variety of sources, but it isn't enough.

"When we all purchase a vehicle, we go pay a registration fee. So, those registration fees kind of help fund our roads. There's also some money from the sales tax that goes to roads, and there's also money from the gas tax," he said. "We've just never come up with a formula that fundamentally meets the needs of the state."

Puri noted the rise in electric vehicle use equals fewer people buying gas, which means less gas-tax revenue.

More than 1.3 million Michigan residents are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, according to the American Automobile Association, up 4% from last year.

Puri said some roads could even be removed because they're not needed anymore because of population changes and different modes of transportation people are using now. He said federal dollars are available to help the state secure funding for these pilot studies - but the state needs to contribute to the pot.

"If the feds are willing to help pay for that study here in Michigan, the state needs to put up some portion of that, to be able to draw down those dollars," he said. "And so, as the state of Michigan, we don't want to leave money on the table."

Puri said the next step in the process is to finalize the state budget for the next fiscal year, which will happen this summer. Based on those results, they'll wait for the feds to open up applications for the road-funding dollars.


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The State of Arizona has received more than $650,000 in grant awards to advance five construction and trade registered apprenticeship programs.

Michael Dea, business manager and secretary-treasurer for Laborers' International Union of North America Local 1184, said Arizona is experiencing an "economic boom" thanks to federal legislation passed by the Biden administration.

Dea pointed out the grant money will directly support the expansion of Arizona's thriving economy by ensuring Arizona construction workers can receive the training they need to then secure good-paying, quality jobs. He emphasized the funds will have a significant effect on their efforts to recruit and place new members in the construction industry.

"There is a need for probably 8,000 to 10,000 construction jobs right now in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and there is no skill; meaning they don't know how to finish concrete, they don't know how to lay asphalt, they don't have a CDL license to drive trucks," Dea outlined. "Somebody has got to train those people, and help those people do that. That is what we are trying to do, in a nutshell."

Dea explained the funds, which are a part of Gov. Katie Hobbs' BuilditAZ Apprenticeship Initiative, could not have come at a better time. On June 14, Local 1184 is breaking ground on its new state-of-the-art training facility west of downtown Phoenix, which will promote the development and enhancement of skills among its members.

Dea contends Arizona is in a good position, especially when it comes to renewable energy projects like solar. There are between 41 and 45 utility-scale solar projects in the Grand Canyon State awaiting the green light, and Dea stressed the union wants to be a part of those projects.

"And train the guys that are going to go out, pound the posts. Put the panels on. Create energy. Build the battery storage facilities," Dea noted. "Then you have to build all the infrastructure around those. The roads, the highways, the streets, the sewer plants, the schools. Everything that comes with all that."

Dea added now people need to help grantees, like his organization, spend the funds and get more hands-on workers out in the field.

City and county governments are feeling the pinch of rising operating costs but in Wisconsin, federal incentives are driving a range of local projects, taking off some of the pressure in making communities economically viable.

Dane County is no stranger to embracing clean energy and federal aid from policies like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are spurring more activity.

Joe Parisi, Dane County executive, said there have been past government credits for things like solar installations and the latest approach is more expansive, with a robust list of those who can benefit.

"Everybody -- a business, a nonprofit, a church, a temple, even a government, and a local government -- gets 30% back on renewable energy projects," Parisi pointed out.

For example, a local construction company put solar arrays on several of its facilities. Parisi noted the new credits speed up the pace of reimbursements, creating more energy savings in the near future. Federal officials said demand has been strong for the programs but Parisi said one challenge is creating broader awareness so under-resourced areas can apply.

Locally, the website for the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change has posted details about project opportunities and investments. Beyond clean energy, Parisi emphasized the federal government's push for more "Made in America" manufacturing creates opportunities for local plants and regional economies.

"There's money to help retooling to manufacture (products)," Parisi stressed. "Then, there's a stronger market for those components now because they are made in America."

National polling shows Americans are greatly concerned about things like inflation but Parisi argued long-term investments stand to help reduce operating expenses for government agencies and businesses, hopefully keeping local taxes in check and providing savings for consumers.


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