In an op-ed column, Attorney General Lori Swanson writes Time to put railroads under anti-trust. The article mentions two pieces of legislation Representative Walz is supporting:
A bill introduced in Congress — the Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act — would remove the antitrust exemption for the railroads, and hopefully begin a process where our nation’s railways will become more responsive to the needs of our economy.
The Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act is co-sponsored by a number of Minnesota public officials, including Reps. Collin Peterson and Tim Walz, and Sen. Norm Coleman.
Another bill — the Railroad Competition and Service Improvement Act — co-sponsored by Reps. Jim Oberstar, Jim Ramstad, Betty McCollum, Walz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, attempts to breathe new life into the regulatory authority of the STB.
Rail customers who lack access to competitive rail transportation face higher rates and inadequate service. Ultimately, the price is passed on to all of us as consumers. The Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act merits our support, because those who fail to remember the lessons of history are bound to repeat its mistakes.
The Winona Daily News picks up the story of Walz's SOTU guest in National Child Protection Training Center leader, Walz headed to Washington. Some tidbits:
“I’ve asked Mr. Vieth to join me at the State of the Union to draw attention to the important work the center is doing on behalf of children and families,” Walz said. “I’d like my colleagues to know more about the important work the center does to end child abuse and give our children every opportunity to reach their full potential in life.”
Vieth, a WSU graduate, said the invitation was an honor for himself and those who are involved with the center.
“There’s almost no political gain it seems for someone to advocate for funding to prevent child abuse, and that’s why this honor is so special,” said Vieth. . . .
. . .Along with Sens. Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar, Walz helped secure $1.2 million in federal earmarks for the center in 2008.
Meredith Salsbery, Walz’s communication director, said Vieth’s invitation to the address will likely be followed by others in the future in an effort to focus on innovative projects in southern Minnesota.
Student leaders at Chatfield High write a letter to say Racial incident not representative. A black baby doll was found hanging from a noose in the school. Here's what student leaders have to say:
Students attending Chatfield High School have been very upset about the recent events regarding racial discrimination.
As senior representatives of our school, we feel that these actions are not a reflection of the student population as a whole. The majority of students here are open-minded and accepting of people of all cultures. It is simply the acts of a few individuals who have tarnished our good reputation.
Although this is the first significant display of racial discrimination, we are aware that this has been an issue in the past. Such behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the student population here in Chatfield. We are working to address this issue in the school and promote awareness throughout the community. We are also upset with the way the media has wrongly portrayed the views of all students here. . . .
There's been a lot of discussion of superdelegates. Congressman Walz is one, but he has yet to choose the presidential candidate he will support. He's not alone according to the Strib. State's politicians not rushing to pick sides notes that in the state's House delegation, Michele Bachmann, Collin Peterson, Jim Ramstad and John Kline also have not made their preferences known (the GOP doesn't have superdelegates, thought the members of the RNC are convention delegate).
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