MINNESOTA (KFGO) – DFL State Senator Rob Kupec of Moorhead asks Governor Tim Walz to allow producers to use lower-taxed red-dyed diesel off their farms like Governor Kelly Armstrong has done in North Dakota as prices are more than $6 a gallon.
This would save 32 cents per gallon.
Kupec said on “Afternoons Live” the governor’s office is looking into if Walz has that authority.
“The setup in North Dakota is a little bit different. You have elected commissioners and a governor and because you only meet every other year, those people have a little bit more power to do things in an emergency situation,” Kupec explained. “Does the governor by declaring an emergency have the power to basically eliminate a sales tax?”
Kupec said on Wednesday, September 30 sugar beet growers had vehicle weight load restrictions waived in Minnesota an attempt to save fuel.
“We are also asking that he extend that to corn and soybean growers as well so that they can get… You can put a little more in the truck that’s maybe fewer loads you need to haul to the elevator,” Kupec said.
The next day, Walz issued an executive order authorizing vehicles hauling corn, soybeans, wheat, potatoes, carrots and forest products to exceed regular weight limits by up to 10% on state and local highways until October 30.
“Trump started a war with no clear mission, end, or plan to protect American families from the economic wreckage,” Walz said. “We are standing with the farmers, loggers, truckers, and families who feed our communities, power our economy, and keep Minnesota moving.”
The order also provides temporary hours-of-service relief for drivers hauling fuel.
Kupec said if Walz doesn’t call a special session to address high gas prices, the legislature should look into fuel refunds for farmers once the session begins in January.
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