At the request of Committee Chair Representative Louis Riggs, Doug Hermes, MACOG Planning Coordinator, and Bonnie Prigge, MACOG Immediate Past President and Meramec RPC – Executive Director, formally submitted MACOG testimony to the Special Interim Committee on Broadband Development at its October 18, 2021 meeting. Ms. Prigge shared with the interim committee the history of Missouri’s RPCs’ engagement in past State broadband planning initiatives and summarized the current RPC activities supporting their regional and local broadband priorities. The MACOG testimony noted that Missouri’s RPCs are key broadband planning partners with the State and are prepared to strengthen this partnership to ensure every opportunity is taken to provide broadband service to Missouri’s resident, businesses and institutions. Before asking for questions, Rep. Riggs personally thanked MACOG and the RPCs for their dedication in helping their regions and for hosting several of the committee’s community engagement meetings held throughout the state. He specifically thanked MACOG President Cindy Hultz, Mark Twain RCOG – Executive Director, and said she was one of the first people he contacted after he was appointed chair of the interim committee because he knows the valuable assistance Missouri’s RPCs can provide. MACOG looks forward to continuing its engagement with the interim committee and to support implementation of the committee’s final recommendations.