Dear Neighbor,
Greetings from the Capitol, where House Democrats continue pushing extreme bills through the process. Here’s a look at just the tip of the iceberg regarding proposals they are fast-tracking:
Extreme abortion bill
House Democrats on Thursday approved a bill which makes abortion, already legal in Minnesota, available at any time during a pregnancy and with no guardrails. The bill does nothing to ensure a woman seeking an abortion does so in a safe or licensed environment. Second- or third- term abortions do not need to take place in a hospital, despite posing medical risks.
Let’s take a step back and be clear: The bill House Democrats put forward goes far beyond whether you do or do not support abortion in general. This bill is so far out there it would put our laws on par with radical regimes such as North Korea and China. The extreme stance House Democrats have taken on abortion is out of touch with average Minnesotans and threatens the health and safety of mothers and unborn children.
House Republicans presented numerous reasonable amendments to at least improve their radical approach on this bill, but the majority blocked every attempt and approved the bill.
Extreme energy bill
Another extreme House Democrat bill is an energy proposal some are calling the “Blackout Bill.” This House Democrat legislation requires electric utilities to generate or acquire 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2040. A hearing was conducted for this bill in the House committee on energy Wednesday and House Democrats promptly approved it despite significant concerns over how this would raise energy costs cost and reliability of power in our state.
Minnesota’s energy prices used to be less than the national average, but liberal, metro-centric policies have put us in much worse position. According to one report, the average cost of electricity for Minnesota’s large electric users rose 91 percent since 2002, while nationwide, the average cost for large users increased 42 percent. Minnesota’s ranking in this category during this time changed from 34th highest to 12th highest.
Meanwhile, our grid’s reliability also is suffering. Another report indicates the Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator (MISO) currently has a 1,200-megawatt capacity shortfall, which means we already don’t have enough reliable power plant capacity online to meet expected peak electricity demand.
Yet this bill House Democrats are pushing would only serve to further raise our energy costs and reduce reliability, the complete opposite of where our focus should lie.
Until next time,
Chris