STATE OF MINNESOTA TENTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-FOURTH SESSION
REGULATED INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE
MINUTES
Rep. Torrey Westrom, Chair of the Regulated Industries Committee, called the tenth meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. on March 15, 2005 in Room 5 of the State Office Building.
The Clerk noted the roll.
Members present:
WESTROM, Torrey, Chair ANDERSON, I.
CHARRON, Mike HANSEN, Rick
EMMER, Tom HILTY, Bill
ERICKSON, Sondra HUNTLEY, Tom
GUNTHER, Bob JOHNSON, Sheldon
HACKBARTH, Tom LESCH, John
HOPPE, Joe PETERSON, Aaron
POWELL, Duke RUUD, Maria
SIMPSON
WESTERBERG, Andy
ZELLERS, Kurt
Members excused: LANNING
ATKINS
THISSEN
WALKER
A quorum was present.
Rep. Anderson moved approval of the minutes for March 9, 2005. The motion prevailed.
HF 1608 (Cox) District court authorized to hear appeals of lesser utility fines.
Rep. Westrom moved that HF 1608 be recommended to pass and be re-referred to the committee on Civil Law.
The following individuals testified before the committee:
Rep. Ray Cox
Charles Keanow, Office of Pipeline Safety
Rep. Westrom renewed the motion that HF 1608 be recommended to pass and be re-referred to the committee on Civil Law. The motion prevailed.
HF 1614 (Olson) Net energy billing provisions extended to electricity generated from livestock manure.
Rep. Westrom moved that HF 1614 be recommended to pass and be placed on the General Register.
The following individuals testified to before the committee:
Rep. Mark Olson
Dennis Haubenschild
Rep. Olson requested that HF 1614 be laid over for future consideration.
Rep. Westrom laid HF 1614 over for future consideration.
HF 1530 (Simpson) Energy assistance program statutory authority clarified, obsolete energy assistance programs repealed, and obsolete oil overcharge language removed.
Rep. Simpson moved that HF 1530 be recommended to pass and be placed on the General Register.
Rep. Simpson moved to amend HF 1530 (H1530-A1 amendment). The motion prevailed. The amendment was adopted.
Rep. Westrom renewed the motion that HF 1530, as amended, be recommended to pass and be placed on the General Register. The motion prevailed.
HF 1026 (Rukavina) Farm-grown closed-loop biomass definition expanded, and conditions for Public Utilities Commission approval of a pending request for a biomass project modified.
The following individuals testified before the committee:
Rep. Tom Rukavina
Todd Iverson
Rep. Westrom moved to amend HF 1026 (A05-0266 amendment).
The following individuals testified to the proposed A05-0266 amendment to HF 1026.
Rep. Tom Rukavina
Todd Iverson
Gary Cervenik
Rep. Westrom incorporated the following author’s amendment into the proposed A05-0266 amendment to HF 1026:
Page 3, strike lines 29 - 36
Page 4, strike lines 1 - 8
Testimony to the proposed A05-0266 amendment, as amended, continued before the committee:
Rick Evans, Excel Energy, testified before the committee.
Rep. Westrom renewed the motion to amend HF 1026 (A05-0266 amendment – as amended). The motion prevailed. The amendment, as amended, was adopted.
Committee discussion on HF 1026, as amended, continued.
Rep. Anderson moved to amend HF 1026, as amended, as follows:
Page 4, line 12, strike $104
Page 4, line 12, insert $66
The motion did not prevail. The amendment was not adopted.
Rep. Anderson requested a division on the motion to further amend HF 1026, as amended.
There being 5 Ayes and 10 Nays: The motion did not prevail.
Rep. Westrom renewed the motion that HF 1026, as amended, be recommended to pass and be re-referred to the committee on Environment Policy. The motion did not prevail.
Rep. Westrom requested a division on the motion that HF 1026, as amended, be recommended to pass and be re-referred to the committee on Environment Policy.
There being 6 Ayes and 9 Nays: The motion did not prevail.
The committee heard testimony from the following individuals regarding various energy/transmission proposals before the committee:
Mike Michaud, NAWO, CURE and Lake City Wind Energy Task Force
Sigurd W. Anderson, Lake City Wind Task Force
Carol Overland, Attorney at Law
Tom Davis, Farmer/Landowner
John Nauerth, Landowner
Jenny Tusa, Fox Lake Power Association
John Kes, Bremer Bank
Rep. Gunther assumed the gavel at 9:20 p.m.
Rep. Peterson requested a copy of the testimony from John Kes, Bremer Bank.
The committee heard continued testimony from the following individuals regarding various energy/transmission proposals before the committee:
Ron Giteck, Office of the Attorney General
Bill Blazar, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Rep. Westrom resumed the gavel at 9:35 p.m.
The committee heard continued testimony from the following individuals regarding various energy/transmission proposals before the committee:
Dan Juhl, C-BED
Dan Stoks, SMI
Closing comments by the Chair.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:10 p.m.
______________________________
REP. TORREY WESTROM
CHAIR
______________________________
Kathleen Anderson
Committee Legislative Assistant