(ST. PAUL, MN) – Wednesday, Senator Andrew Mathews (R-Milaca) presented a bill in the Environment Policy and Legacy Finance Committee to strip back the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) ability to set clean air standards without going through the legislature. The bill also attributes one million dollars to a study of the economic impact California’s emission standards would have on Minnesota. The Clean Car Minnesota Proposal, recently presented to the legislature by the MPCA, mandates that vehicle manufacturers and sellers provide passenger vehicles that meet air pollution emissions standards, as well as a certain number of ultra-low or zero-emission vehicles.
Sen. Mathew’s stated to the committee, “This rulemaking request from Governor Walz is more ‘One California’ than ‘One Minnesota.’ Existing law states that rulemaking should be done in the most practical way possible, based on scientific knowledge of causes and with the acknowledgment that broad mandates do not fit every area of the state. The Clean Car Minnesota Proposal is bad for the economy and for our outstate citizens. Dealerships will be hurt if they are mandated to buy cars that their customers have no demand for.”
Chad Murphy of Murphy Chevrolet in Foley, MN, testified for the bill, saying “If I don’t have a particular vehicle on the lot that a consumer wants, I will try to find one from another dealer. If Minnesota has a different standard than the surrounding states, and vehicles here cost more, I will have difficulty trading vehicles with dealers in other states. This puts me at a disadvantage and will make it harder to serve our customers.”
Representatives from the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association stated that they were “Disappointed that Governor Walz has made unilateral decision to adopt California auto emission standards.” They noted that an incentive program for electric vehicles with full overview from the legislature would be a better route for the state.
“This sets a bad precedent. We’re focused on clean cars now, but what will it be later? Electric vehicles are on the rise, and as technology improves, I’m not opposed to them. This bill is simply a way to prevent agency overreach. The agencies should not be allowed to cede authority to California bureaucrats and away from Minnesota legislators,” said Sen. Mathews.
The Clean Car Minnesota Proposal would cause an estimated 800 dollar increase on every car sold in the state. According to Center of the American Experiment, EV’s constitute 1.6% of the automobile market nationwide and are dominated by Tesla. The bill was passed through the committee and sent to the Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.