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MARSHALL Â Members of the Marshall City Council were divided Tuesday night on whether to formally speak out against Minnesota adopting low-emission vehicle standards similar to California.
Council members were united in thinking the question should be left up to the state Legislature instead of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. But some council members thought the city shouldn’t be taking political positions on the issue.
“As a council, we have a history of kind of staying in our lane,” said Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes. The Clean Cars Minnesota rule was more of a state government issue than a local one, he said.
Feb 24, 2021
It is time for our state to adopt the Minnesota Clean Cars Standards! Like 14 other states that have already adopted the updated emissions standards we can be a leader in environmental stewardship. We can step up from the lax federal standards to the more responsible Clean Cars Initiative.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has proposed the adoption of the Standards under the rule-making authority granted to it by the legislature. An administrative law judge is currently holding hearings to gather public input. Everyone is invited to take part in that process.
Folks who do not understand the effects of climate change use misinformation and scare tactics to undermine support for the Standards. The Standards do not require auto dealers to sell electric vehicles. Instead, the focus is on mandates and incentives for auto manufacturers, many of whom are already on board. For example, GM has made a public commitment to go all-electric for new sales by 2035.
New modeling shows Minnesota is off track from its emission reduction goals, but stronger economy-wide climate policies would cut state emissions 75% while adding 39,000 job-years and $11 billion per year to the state's economy by 2050.
It s the way those goals are accomplished that makes it hard to jump on board.
Gov. Tim Walz wants more Minnesotans to buy electric and hybrid vehicles, which would be good for Minnesota and help at least a little in addressing climate change. And we are late adopters, in the state and in the country.
But it s generally a good idea when you want a change in a marketplace to provide some incentives. Clean Cars Minnesota is a proposal by a regulator, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). And regulators only make and enforce rules.
Those rules, which follow California s on emissions, are aimed at car manufacturers, but it s Minnesota s car dealers who are doing the worrying.