MN Senate energy committee kills repeal of nuclear power, hydro bans

This afternoon, the state senate Energy committee took up two bills to repeal the ban on new nuclear power plants.

Today’s meeting was only possible because, under the current Senate power-sharing agreement, Sen. Andrew Mathews (R-Princeton), committee Co-Chair, controlled the agenda for the meeting.

Among the three bills heard today were Sen. Mathews’ Senate Files 350 and 468 to repeal the nuclear power ban. But first up was S.F. 426, a two-line bill that would promote large-scale hydroelectric power as a carbon-free alternative, by lifting the size cap for such projects.

Debate on the two-line bill lasted over an hour. After a ten-minute recess to confer, the bill failed to advance out of committee, likely killing it for the year.

The committee then moved on to the nuclear bills. Both bills met the same inglorious end as the previous one, despite the professed support of a majority of committee members.

Committee members at least gave SF 350 a public funeral, killing it on a tied 7-7 vote.

Unfortunately, this may be the last such meeting held at the capitol. Yesterday’s special election for Senate District 60 (Minneapolis) produced a Democrat winner, giving Senate Democrats a one-seat 34-33 majority, and ending the short-lived 50-50 power-sharing agreement with the Republicans.

During the past two years, when Democrats held the same 34-33 majority, no significant Republican bills were considered by the chamber. Even though every energy bill heard today counts Democratic co-authors among its supporters, none is likely to receive any future consideration. All three bills appeared to enjoy the support of a majority of Energy committee members, yet, all three failed to advance out of committee and shan’t be heard from again. Call it, “death by collegiality.”

With the state House of Representatives shut down, indefinitely, by the collusive illegal actions of the executive and judicial branches, the state Senate is the only legislative game in town. With Democrats retaking a one-seat majority in the Senate, we won’t even see hearings like today’s, much less legislation passed.

Last November, Minnesota voters chose to end the 100 percent Democratic monopoly on political power in the state, referred to as the “DFL trifecta.” But, via unprecedented chicanery, Democrats have manufactured a DFL “exacta.”

You can vote for conservative government, but you can’t get it.