Walz and Paulsen want nuke ban lifted
DFL Rep. Tim Walz and GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen will hold a news conference in St. Paul this morning to call on Minnesota to end its moratorium on the production of nuclear power plants. They will be joined by members of the Building and Trades Council Union and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
Minnesota has banned the expansion of nuclear power plants in 1994 but an effort to repeal the moratorium has been gaining steam in recent years. The Minnesota Senate passed the effort last year and it was narrowly defeated in the Minnesota House. Critics of the moratorium say nuclear energy should be considered "clean power" and would help provide power to an energy hungry nation. The Washington Post reports this morning that nuclear power is gaining support from the Obama Administration and Democrats in Congress.
But opponents of nuclear power who support of the moratorium in Minnesota argue that nuclear power is too expensive and is too dangerous.
There are two nuclear power plants in Minnesota - in Red Wing (GOP Rep. John Kline's district) and in Monticello (GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann's district).
Today's key question: Will Paulsen or Walz support a nuclear power plant in their district?
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