About the author: Melissa Roberts is the executive director of the Partnership for Technology Innovation, which aims to educate the public and elected officials on the link between technological advancement and economic growth.

It’s tornado season, and there’s a storm brewing in Kansas. Government bureaucrats and startups are churning toward each other. But lately, when they meet, they’re working together to encourage lightning-fast Internet around our state. In a time when political ire is at an all-time high, it can be shocking to see state government leaders and local businesses work together toward a larger goal.

Enter Kansas H.B. 2326, a bill that encouraged a hands-off approach to regulation of Internet-based networks. The Internet today is the most powerful communications tool in history. Both entrepreneurs and government have a huge stake in its future. Sparks were supposed to fly.

But lo and behold, the bill passed. And Kansas will be better for it.

Turns out when it comes to broadband, state leaders agree on it, entrepreneurs love it and everyone wants it blazing fast (but this is old news). Thankfully, some Kansas lawmakers are doing everything possible to blaze the path for the advanced networks that students, families, farmers and business owners are demanding.

The urgent call for collaboration between elected and business leaders was echoed in a recent meeting convened by the Partnership for Technology Innovation to connect Kansas Governor Sam Brownback with a small group of tech influentials and entrepreneurs from across the state. These participants, who share a trailblazer mentality, ranged from Ryan Weber of KCnext and Aaron Deacon of KC Digital Drive to Rebecca Korphage of the Kansas Entrepreneurs Coalition and Wayne Chambers, CEO of Wichita’s High Touch Technologies Inc. Each had a compelling and urgent argument for high-speed broadband expansion and its importance in fueling the growth of their businesses. So much so, that half way through introductions, Governor Brownback jokingly interjected, “I get it—you need the Internet.”

And he’s right. Simple as it sounds, our economy, education, health care and innovation itself all increasingly rely on fast Internet connections. Modern conveniences available because of “smart” devices and increasingly ubiquitous wireless services are being adopted by consumers at a rapid rate and have flourished in the largely rules-free sandbox of the Internet and network technology.

To ensure Kansans have the opportunity to enjoy the same technology-centered benefits as other states, Representatives Marvin Kleeb and Joe Seiwart, chairs of two committees dedicated to technology and economic development, led efforts to pass H.B. 2326 to shield IP-based networks from onerous regulation, while Senator Julia Lynn led efforts in the state Senate.

Kansas is wise to support and protect this environment because it has some catching up to do. According to the Kansas Corporation Commission’s annual report, only a quarter of Kansans have Internet service at speeds fast enough to handle data-heavy traffic—things like streaming audio and video. The report also revealed Kansas has fallen behind on access to high-speed services, down to No. 35 among the 47 states from which statistics were available.

By passing H.B. 2326, state leaders have supported Kansans in getting access to technologies that can help them grow their businesses, live healthier lives, get better education and attain a higher quality of life.

The pressure systems that push and pull our economy cause a lot of turmoil. But they also clear the sky and allow us to see further. This time, the machine of government and the spirit of technological innovation were collaborative partners in developing and supporting something that elevates the economic outlook for generations of Kansans. We were glad to see our legislature and Governor Brownback standing with entrepreneurs and startups. They showed us they get it. Let’s hope this lightning not only strikes twice, but keeps going.