Frac-sand-mining debate draws a crowd to the Capitol

And there may be a bill within a week … Doug Belden’s PiPress story on the building fight over frac sand mining says: “Industry representatives said they’re open to monitoring in order to generate health and environmental data but that there’s no reason to freeze operations while that’s done. ‘We need to continue on, collect the data, and if there are changes in regulations, these individual operations need to comply with the new standards,’ said Kirsten Pauly of Sunde Engineering, representing the Minnesota Industrial Sand Council. The issue of how to handle proposals to tap the area’s rich deposits of silica sand, which are then used elsewhere in the country in ‘hydraulic fracturing’ — or ‘fracking’ — has been largely handled locally in Minnesota, but county and municipal officials argue they’re in over their heads.”

Back to the drawing board … . Rochelle Olson of the Strib says: “Eleven lampposts on the new Lowry Bridge in northeast Minneapolis will cost $18,000 to replace this spring after being bruised by a snow plow during cleanup from a December storm. The Hennepin County bridge over the Mississippi River opened in October. A couple of months later, engineers learned the lampposts were too close to the street because a plow’s blade hit 32 of the 54 posts.”

FoxNews is calling it a “revolt.” Joseph Weber writes: “Minnesota businesses are blasting a plan by Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton to make the North Star State one of the few that taxes companies for business they do with other businesses.  Firms in the state say the plan to tax such business services as advertising, legal advice and even printer fees will dull their competitive edge, in addition to adding perhaps thousands in extra costs a year. … ‘We think it’s a horrible idea,’ Dave Olson, president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, told FoxNews.com.”

Yeah! Save the growler! Blake McCoy of KARE-TV reports the distressing news that: “The booming microbrewery business is finding out that in Minnesota success comes with a drawback. As breweries grow, they are being forced to retire an aspect of their business called growlers, a half-gallon jug of beer that can be purchased at the brewery. … This year, business is booming at Fulton Brewery and production is expected to exceed 3,500 barrels of beer. Unfortunately, that’s when state law says they can no longer sell growlers or any packaged beer directly from the brewery. This has prompted the Minnesota Brewers Association to launch a ‘Save the Growler’ campaign.”

If you have 3M chemicals in your blood, the state won’t be there to monitor it any longer. Bob Shaw of the PiPress writes: “The state won’t be checking anyone’s blood for chemicals made by the 3M Co., Health Department officials said Feb. 19. The department will suspend the blood-monitoring program, although it will continue to monitor the chemicals in groundwater. The cutback — which was found in Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposed budget — goes against a recommendation by the department to continue the blood monitoring. ‘Other priorities were deemed to be higher,’ said Jim Kelly, the department’s manager of environmental surveillance and assessment.” Are they still monitoring the Legislature’s water?

Puppy mills … again? Pat Kessler of WCCO-TV files a story on a perennial issue: “The new law would affect any breeder who has at least 10 dogs or cats producing at least five litters a year. It requires annual state inspections and a $250 annual license fee. The sponsor of the bill calls that a ‘commercial breeder’ that can cost unknowing buyers thousands of dollars in veterinary bills. … Animal advocates have been trying to pass this bill for six years now. It’s opposed by agribusiness groups who say they are worried the law could affect their large livestock operations.”

There are already more than 200 different “specialty license plates”? Brian Bakst of the AP says: “Special Minnesota license plates that act as state-sanctioned billboards and fundraising tools for various causes are causing angst among some lawmakers, who are worried about where to draw the line and whether they’re actually a losing proposition. Another handful of special plate requests are before the Legislature this year. …  The batch of proposed plates would add to a collection of plate variations that now tops 200, according to state officials. … The committee didn’t vote on any of the bills but the chairman, Rep. Ron Erhardt, said he would consider moving each of them ahead later this year. Some lawmakers admit it’s tough to say no, but they worry that many special plates aren’t making up for the cost to produce them.” I already got my electronic pull-tab plates …

Speaking of … Jean Hopfensperger of the Strib writes: “Minnesotans waiting for the rollout of electronic bingo games at bars and restaurants will need to wait at least another month as the Minnesota Gambling Control Board delayed approval Tuesday of the first game in the pipeline. … The high-tech bingo games will have far bigger prizes than the video pulltab games that were launched in September, manufacturers say, and potentially could generate considerable revenue for the state. Many charitable gambling managers predict e-bingo will be received well by customers, in particular those who haven’t been fans of the video pulltab games.”

The (possibly racist-definitely drunk) baby-slapper is out on $10,000 bond. The AP says: “Joe Rickey Hundley, 60, surrendered to federal agents and then stood before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mikel H. Williams, who appeared via video at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Hundley, of Hayden, Idaho, was released by the magistrate on a $10,000 unsecured bond. As conditions of his release, Hundley cannot drink alcohol or possess firearms and must surrender his passport.” All that and the gummint is grabbin’ his guns, too!