Simon reintroduces Rural Renaissance bill

Lazaro Aleman editor@riverbendnews.org Senator Corey Simon has reintroduced legislation for the 2026 session that seeks to provide more support and resources to rural areas for healthcare, improved roads, and other infrastructure. Senate Bill 250, which Simon filed on Nov. 20, is simply titled “Rural Communities.” The bill aims to accomplish multiple things. One is to require the state land planning agency to give preference to technical assistance funding for local governments located in rural areas of opportunity (RAOs). RAOs are largely agrarian areas specifically designated by the state for the promotion of economic development, particularly in communities that