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Senate bill would give $300,000 grants to five rural counties for ARMER radio upgrades
Summary
Senate File 386 would appropriate one-time grants of $300,000 to five Minnesota counties to fund upgraded equipment so local 911 dispatch centers and responders can fully join the ARMER statewide radio system; counties would provide a 50% match. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.
Senate File 386, presented March 10 to the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, would provide one-time grants of $300,000 to each of five named counties to upgrade local radio consoles and other equipment so they can become full participants on the statewide Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) system.
The author, Senator Weber, told the committee the funding is intended for counties that have lagged in receiving upgrades and risk falling “two generations behind” in radio equipment. Sheriff Evan Berbugi of Rock County testified in support, saying the five counties he represents — Rock, Lac Qui Parle, Jackson, Red Lake and Roseau — have relied on limited-controlpoint or mobile-console configurations that restrict communication and patching among local, regional and statewide talk groups.
The bill would be a one-time appropriation, with each county required to provide a 50% local match. Testimony during the committee hearing said the Southwest Emergency Communications Board had prioritized these counties for grant funding in 2023 but that the statewide emergency communications board denied those grant requests while funding other counties.
Committee members raised the broader scale of the problem during discussion: Senator Howe said the state faces a “$200 million” shortfall to modernize radios statewide, and Senator Lats said a long-term, dedicated revenue source may be necessary rather than piecemeal appropriations. Chair and committee members did not vote; the author closed by thanking the panel and the bill was “laid over for possible inclusion.”
The bill does not change ARMER governance; it would only fund eligible counties' equipment upgrades contingent on the local match and is subject to inclusion in an omnibus appropriation.
Votes at the hearing: no formal roll-call votes were taken on this bill; the committee chair announced the bill was laid over for possible inclusion.
