By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
Last Thursday, several community members gathered at The Ole Store, here in Northfield, to share their stories with Minnesota State Senators. The event was a committee hearing on the impacts of Federal and State funding cuts to Rural Healthcare, but at times included other topics such as Mental healthcare, County Government, as well as food and housing insecurity.
In attendance to share their stories and ideas were Rice County Commissioner Galen Malehca, along with several county staff in human and social services, Northfield Hospital CEO Zander Abbott, Laura Baker Services Association Executive Director Sandi Gerdes, and several more community members.
In a conversation with KYMN after the hearing, Senator Alice Mann shared why it was important to have these hearings outside of the Capitol Building:
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“Because coming to the Capitol to tell a story can be a barrier for many people. And so we are already weeding out people with really incredible stories that we need to hear, but they can’t get there. And so for us to come to them, to go to a rural area instead of sitting in the middle of St. Paul, to hear stories directly from the people that are going to be impacted by federal cuts is extremely important and helpful to us.” – Alice Mann, State Senator (DFL), KYMN Interview.
In the coming days, we will be focusing on different topics discussed at the committee hearing, and what local leaders estimate the impact of federal cuts will be on Northfield and other rural communities.
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