SAINT PAUL, MN— Today the Minnesota House passed the Republicans’ Omnibus Jobs and Energy bill. The bill cuts job creation efforts, consumer protections, racial & economic equity provisions, workforce housing, and rolls back Minnesota’s renewable energy progress.
Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester) released the following statement:
“Today the House of Representatives passed perhaps the worst “jobs and energy” bill the House has seen, especially in a time of surplus in the state’s budget.
“Minnesotans know climate change is real. Minnesotans value our outdoors, our clean air and our clean water, but House Republicans are attacking environmental protections. They eliminate the renewable development fund, which promotes clean energy; they deregulate oil and gas pipelines, threatening the progress we’ve made; they reduce the solar energy mandate for large energy producers, guaranteeing more dirty power; Republican legislators even blocked a measure to say climate change is real and is caused partly by humans. And an amendment debated and added on the House floor gives a huge gift to the Enbridge Corporation by allowing it to construct, own and operate a 340 mile-long pipeline “at its sole discretion.”
“In the bill, House Republicans cut racial equity programs by millions of dollars at a time when our state’s minority populations are struggling to be full participants in our economy and our state needs their full participation. The bill also cuts funding for “workforce housing,” which is in short supply, and funds for job creation programs that are effective around the state.
This bill is a slap in the face to Minnesotans who believe we should be moving forward together.
Rep. Liebling is the DFL Lead on the House Committee on Health and Human Services Reform. Rep. Liebling can be contacted by email at rep.tina.liebling@house.mn or phone at 651-296-7173.