factory farms
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Anti-Local Control Bill Fails in Senate; Now Let Lawmakers Know it Should be a Dead Issue
By Bobby King, Land Stewardship Project Last week the bill weakening local control, Senate File 270, came up on the Senate floor, met with strong opposition, and failed to pass. This is…
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The Fight for Local Control Goes Local; Anti-Local Control Bill Passes off MN House Floor
By Bobby King, Land Stewardship Project Some lawmakers in St. Paul are turning a deaf ear to an important fact: local control is a key tool for Minnesota cities, townships and counties…
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Anti-Local Control Bill Goes to House Floor Vote This Afternoon—Call Reps. Now
Surprise and intimidation can be powerful tools when backers of major development seek to build a large facility in a small, rural township. For a town board used to dealing with mundane…
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Local Control & the Capitol’s Dangerous Double Standard
Nice irony: when a key committee passed House File 389 last Wednesday, it was by a 9 to 5 vote, which is less than the two-thirds majority the bill imposes on local…
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First on the Agenda Thursday: Weaken Local Control
Well, that didn’t take long. Tomorrow, at the very first meeting of the Minnesota House Government Operations and Elections Committee, lawmakers will take up House File 389, which weakens township, county and…
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Weakening Factory Farm Rules in the Midnight Hour
What’s a sure sign that legislators are not carrying out the wishes of the general public? Answer: when their actions have to be carried out in secret, behind closed doors, in the…
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People Power Keeps Local Control Strong
By Bobby King, Land Stewardship Project The 2011 Minnesota legislative session ended at midnight on May 23 with township rights and local control strong in Minnesota—a testament to how seriously this state’s…
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Time to Drive a Stake Through Anti-Local Control Bill
Like a monster in a B movie, this is the bill that just won’t die. Despite strong public opposition, Senate File 270, which weakens township local control of factory farms and other…
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Factory Farming’s 2 Least Favorite Words
A major reason factory farming hasn’t run completely roughshod over the Minnesota countryside can be summed up in two words: “local control.” That’s why corporate interests aren’t wasting any time this legislative…
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The Environmental Review Express
In the Legislature’s rush to “streamline” environmental review with proposals like House File 1, there’s a lot of talk about how such a measure would benefit “constituents” around the state. But one…