By Rep. Paul Anderson
The two committees in the Minnesota House that deal with agriculture will conduct a joint tour this week to view ag-related facilities around the state. The Policy Committee, which I chair, along with the Finance Committee, chaired by Rep. Rod Hamilton, will be on the road Tuesday and Wednesday to get a first-hand look at turkey processing facilities, the poultry testing lab in Willmar, along with a biodiesel refinery and an ethanol plant.
The first day we’ll visit the Jennie-O plant in Faribault, where workers were laid off during the height of the avian flu outbreak earlier this year. The plant is now ramping production back up, and workers are being called back. We’ll also swing through Austin for a stop at Hormel before heading to Albert Lea to visit a biodiesel refinery in that city.
After returning to St. Paul that evening, we’ll head out the second day to Willmar for a tour of the poultry testing lab. This facility was granted funding in the bonding bill for an upgrade so testing for the avian flu can be done right there in Willmar instead of having all samples sent to the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. Our tour will also visit the MinnWest Technology campus and the Jennie-O Turkey Store, both located in Willmar. The last stop Wednesday will be at an ethanol plant in Granite Falls.
It’s good for legislators to get a hands-on look at facilities impacted by legislation that we pass. For example, we dealt with the flu outbreak in poultry flocks this past session and it will be timely for us to be updated on the industry’s recovery and on progress being made in addressing a possible outbreak of the disease again this fall when migrating birds return to Minnesota.
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Minnesota is not the only state to have imposed renewable energy mandates. Others have also passed legislation requiring a certain percentage of energy sales come from renewables.
According to the magazine STATE LEGISLATURES, one state, Hawaii, has even gone so far as to mandate that its utilities generate their total amount of electricity sales, that’s 100 percent, from renewables by the year 2045!
There has been push-back in some states against these mandates. The state of New York announced it will not extend its renewable portfolio standard but will instead look for new ways to increase investments in this area. West Virginia became the first state to repeal a voluntary goal with legislation passed earlier this year. And Kansas enacted a bill that changed its enforceable mandate, which many utilities had already met, into a non-binding goal.
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In driving around the district, it’s amazing how good the crops look. Because of all the rain this summer, everything still looks lush and green. As an example, I traveled down Highway 4 from Meire Grove to Paynesville one day last week, and the corn and soybeans along the road were truly impressive. Minnesota is the garden spot this year, with our crops rated higher than any other state. Cool temps over the weekend have some concerned about an early frost, which would certainly hurt these crops. We need warmer weather to return for another few weeks to finish off what could be record yields all across the state.
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