Legislative Update
Greetings,
I have much to share with you about the events of the past week!
Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Last Saturday, Jeanne and I enjoyed a perfect day as we participated in the Owatonna Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The organizers did a fantastic job of parking our cars and getting our registration validated. No doubt a great deal of work occurred prior to our arrival. A big shoutout to Rebekah Hartman and all the organizers for a job very well done. A second big shoutout to Corey Harguth of KOWZ media who did a fantastic job as the Master of Ceremonies (MC). In addition, it was great to see so many community members supporting the walk and supporting the effort to find a cure.
Agrigrowth Tour
Bright and early on Monday morning, Minnesota House and Senate legislators as well as agricultural experts from around the State of Minnesota participated in a two-day, nine stop tour of southern Minnesota agricultural venues. A couple of the unique sights for me included touring a climate-controlled potato warehouse where I received a greater appreciation for the large quantity of potatoes we are growing in Minnesota. Later, we toured the Syngenta Seedcare Institute where seed coatings are developed and tested. These coatings help protect the seeds from insects and fungus until the farmer intentionally plants them in the ground. On both days we learned various aspects of precision farming from the co-operative perspective and the farmer’s perspective. Finally, we wrapped up with a tour of a pork production facility near Kasson and a diary production operation at our very own Balzer Family Dairy LLC in Owatonna (Merton township).
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Rick Balzer and I touring the Balzer Family Dairy LLC in Owatonna
Better In Our Back Yard (BIOBY) Conference
After meeting with some of our Minnesota constituents on Wednesday, I joined the Better In Our Back Yard Expo for their two-day event (Wednesday night and Thursday). The BIOBY Expo (https://betterinourbackyard.com/) focuses on the work being done to bring back some of our mining and energy initiatives from overseas locations to Minnesota and the United States. Some of the keynote speakers included Deputy Secretary of the Department of Interior, Katherine McGregor (via Zoom); US Senator Kevin Cramer, North Dakota; and US Representative Pete Stauber of the 8th District (MN). Of course, some of the biggest topics included Permitting (State and Federal) as well as Workforce Development and Retention. Furthermore, I am hearing a growing concern related to future shortage of copper (BNEF podcast). Copper is an essential element in cellphones, computers, data centers, medical equipment, safe home electrical wiring, and many more applications. As some of you may recall, we tried to switch to aluminum wiring in our homes back in the 1970s and that produced disastrous results. In fact, most homes have been rewired with copper conductors now to prevent overheating and electrical fires. Whether or not you intend to purchase an electric car or additional electrical appliances, copper is an essential element, and we need refocus on our US opportunities to supply our own copper. As you know, we do have large deposits of copper and nickel in Minnesota, and we need to develop these resources for our future economy and the essential tools that help us live our daily lives.
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Special Session
Special Session: Again, we have not heard any new information concerning a special session. While posturing for the media continues to occur, senior leaders, including Governor Walz continue to meet to discuss options.
Coffee with Tom
Please feel free to join me for Coffee with Tom at the Owatonna Chamber of Commerce on October 3rd at the Owatonna Chamber of Commerce from 12:00pm-1:00pm. Senator John Jasinski is currently scheduled to join me for this event (today).
Our next meeting in Waseca continues to change (again). I have several scheduling conflicts throughout October based on travel for the Energy and Capital Investment committees. Thus, I will be working with our Waseca Chamber of Commerce team to coordinate our next Coffee with Tom. Please continue to check the Waseca Chamber of Commerce schedule and future newsletters for updates.
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