Rep. Andrew Falk grills PolyMet’s Brad Moore on early-stage company’s financials
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Back in August, the Guardian reported in Tony Hayward’s interim chairman role at Glencore could become permanent: Continue Reading
While Franson opponent freaks out over ditch weed, Farm Bill oks hemp research in nine states
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Sue Nelson, the Tea Party member challenging incumbent conservative Republican state representative Mary Franson, continued her holy war against ditch weed on Facebook Tuesday. Along with several other Minnesota Republicans, Franson supports allowing Minnesota farmers to grow hemp for fiber, building materials and other non-recreational purposes. Continue Reading
Frac sand policy update: Houston County checks out banning frac sand mining; activist now on Environmental Quality Board
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Citizen concerns over frac sand mining continue in Southeastern Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio reports in Houston County could permanently ban new frac sand mining: Continue Reading
Super weed menace lights up Minnesota’s debate about farm chemical dependency concerns
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One day after his declared Republican opponent cavorts in Willmar with the Tea Party, state representative Andrew Falk and the Minnesota House Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance will be looking at the growing threat of super weeds. Continue Reading
Xcel Energy dumped ALEC by 2011, but continues to fund ALEC sponsor Edison Electric Institute
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A controversy in Colorado has flushed out information about a Minnesota-based company’s former ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council. The kerfuffle may be instructive to understanding the ALEC origins of some of the politics of net metering of consumer-generated solar power that we hear in Minnesota. Continue Reading
Frac sand briefs: LSP to hold Frac Sand Summit Jan.18; two Minnesota firms fined for Wisconsin dirty deeds
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Letters in Southeast Minnesota encouraging citizens to attend Land Stewardship Project’s Frac Sand Summit in Winona on January 18 contrast sharply with a slurry of news from Wisconsin of mining companies receiving stiff fines for pollution violations. Continue Reading
Supreme Court declines to hear MN Majority/North Star Tea Party polling place electioneering test case
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Via the Star Tribune’s Morning Hot Dish, the Christian Science Monitor reports that the United States Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a case challenging Minnesota’s law that prevents electioneering in the polling place. Continue Reading
State Policy Network received $40K grant request from Center of the American Experiment to debunk MN public pension “myths”
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The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) related document drop continues today at the Guardian, with the ALEC-associated States Policy Network (SPN) in the sights of the British paper with the publication of State conservative groups plan US-wide assault on education, health and tax. Continue Reading
From St. Cloud to Stevens County: Hearing and seeing Greater Minnesota’s changing voices and faces
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Three items in Bluestem’s morning read illustrate how the faces and voices of Greater Minnesota are changing.
Somali radio in St. Cloud
No pitchforks, please: Wright Co gets MRAP to defend nuclear power plant from Xcel ratepayers
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Via MSN, Michael Virtanen of the Associated Press is reporting in Spoils of war: Police getting leftover Iraq trucks: Continue Reading