North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp wants to ensure...

North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp wants to ensure high-speed Internet is available in her state, she said last week. Heitkamp, a member of the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party, met with Rural Utilities Service Administrator John Padalino, according to two tweets she sent out, one displaying a photo of herself and Padalino. She “pressed” Padalino “to continue efforts to improve/expand high-speed Internet access in ND,” she said. She noted that “16% of NDans do not have access to high-speed Internet. That jumps to 36% in rural parts of ND & 75% in Indian Country in ND.” A spokesman for Heitkamp confirmed the meeting was Thursday. In a news release, Heitkamp’s office mentioned she is a member of the Agriculture Committee and a strong backer of the Farm Bill Broadband Program. “Heitkamp also stressed that RUS must address the dearth of high-speed Internet access in Indian Country,” the news release said of the meeting (http://1.usa.gov/1esHDOS). “In North Dakota, 75 percent of individuals living on tribal lands do not have access to high-speed Internet -- one of the highest disparities in the country."