Richfield's House Rep. Thissen: Minnesota Needs Balanced Budget, Not Nuclear Power Plants

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With a projected $6.2 billion state budget deficit looming and a tough economy, Minnesota House of Representatives Minority Leader Paul Thissen (D-63A) was surprised Republicans were prioritizing a bill to lift the current ban on building nuclear power plants, according to a press release from the House nonpartisan Public Information Services.

Rep. Thissen said balancing the state budget should be the priority and the bill should not be mistaken for a “jobs” bill since the new plants won’t be built for another 15 years. In addition, if the ban was lifted, he was worried about ratepayer increases.

“These plants cost $14 billion to build,” he said in the press release. “If that’s going to be borne by ratepayers to the benefit of utility shareholders, I think that will be problematic.”

The bill is scheduled to be heard by a House commission on Tuesday.

In other legislative news, Minnesota House and Senate members were named to various committees. Those representing Richfield were named to the following committees:

• Rep. Thissen, Rules and Legislative Administration Committee;
• Sen. Kenneth Kelash (D-63), Agriculture and Rural Economies Committee, Environment and Natural Resources Committee and Jobs and Economic Growth Committee.