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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Dan Fabian (R)

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Rep. Fabian Calls for Gov. Dayton, MPCA to Stop Wasting Taxpayer Dollars on Obama Clean Power Plan Halted by Supreme Court, Follow State Law

Thursday, February 18, 2016

ROSEAU, MINN— On Tuesday, February 9, 2016, the Supreme Court halted the enforcement of President Obama's Clean Power Plan in a 5-4 decision until legal challenges have been resolved. To date, 27 states have filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the proposal, citing federal government overreach, skyrocketing rates for consumers and high costs of implementation as serious concerns. In addition, Minnesotans have expressed concerns about the plan's negative impact on industry jobs and electrical system reliability. 

Last week, House Republicans sent a letter to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Commissioner John Stine, requesting that the agency "immediately cease expending taxpayer resources on the implementation of, and preparation for, President Obama's Clean Power Plan unless and until the EPA's unilateral actions are held to be constitutional." Ignoring that request, the MPCA has continued to spend taxpayer dollars hosting unnecessary listening sessions around the state. Michigan is the latest state in the Upper Midwest to stop work on the Clean Power Plan to comply with the Supreme Court Order, joining North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. 

Representative Dan Fabian (R-Roseau), who attended an MPCA public meeting in Bemidji on February 16, released the following statement regarding the decision by Governor Dayton and the MPCA to continue wasting taxpayer money:

"I am disappointed Governor Dayton is moving ahead with President Obama's Clean Power Plan despite the recent Supreme Court ruling calling into question the EPA's constitutional authority to implement this onerous new rule. People continue to ask me why the MPCA is forging ahead with these hearings when the issue may not be resolved in the courts for months or even years. This a needless waste of taxpayer dollars."

Furthermore, at two recent hearings in Saint Cloud and Bemidji, the MPCA indicated they will not provide a draft proposal for the implementation of President Obama's Clean Power Plan by March 15, 2016, to the Minnesota State Legislature, as required under a bipartisan state law signed by Governor Dayton last year. 
 
"What's more, it seems the MPCA wants it both ways, wasting taxpayer dollars on preparations for Obama's Clean Power Plan, while blatantly ignoring state law requiring the MPCA to submit a draft plan for implementation to the legislature," added Rep. Fabian. "The MPCA is going around Minnesota championing a deeply flawed, expensive federal rule while simultaneously refusing to provide details of their plan to the public and elected officials.  Their disregard for our state's laws, consumers, businesses and citizens is astounding, but frankly, I am unsurprised."