Lawmakers' rural task force sets schedule

A newly-formed Minnesota Senate panel will spend the next four months studying the needs of rural areas of the state.

Members of the bipartisan Rural Task Force will hold their first meeting Wednesday. Sen. Tom Saxhaug, DFL-Grand Rapids is heading up the initiative with Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont. Saxhaug said the eight lawmakers will focus on topics that might be more important to them than to their metro-area colleagues.

"You have the difference between the Republicans and the Democrats, and another obvious difference is the metro and the rural legislators," he said. "So, this is just a group that I think can get together and may or may not be able to come up with some concrete issues that may help out the next legislative session."

Saxhaug said he wants to spend some time on transportation and education issues. He said the task force will meet monthly until the January start of the 2015 session.