Nuclear power, horse power moves debate at Capitol
Rep. Laura Brod, R-New Prague, is proposing a constitutional amendment allowing voters to decide whether the current ban on nuclear power plant construction in Minnesota should be lifted.
While the Senate in early April voted to lift the ban, the House more recently voted to keep in place.
Brod said because the Legislature had “dropped the ball” on this “clean” energy source, her proposal would allow the people to decide.
Arguably, the people, or at least most of their representatives in the House, decided against an amendment by Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano, this morning (May 7) concerning the definition of the horse as livestock and with the definition impacting property taxes.
“They’re watching what happens,” said Rep. Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake, of horse ranchers in Washington County of events on the House floor.
“When was the last time Mr. Ed shared the couch with you,” said Rep. Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, with sarcasm on the House floor.
Zellers, like other Republicans, opined that not defining horses as livestock was ridiculous.
But House DFL tax committees leaders have countered by saying the Emmer amendment could have horse tracks shrugging off commerical property classifications for agricultural — a windfall profit.
They’re proposing to study the situation.
But Rep. Matt Dean, R-Dellwood, lampooned the idea of more study, saying small-scale horse operations in his district are about to get a “whack on the side of the head” with big property tax increases.
