State Rep. Jim Newberger, R-Becker, is calling on Gov. Mark Dayton and Minnesota Democrats to denounce recent comments made by DFL Presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton where she said "we're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.” 

 

“Gov. Dayton should clarify whether he agrees with Hillary Clinton's plans to destroy thousands of jobs in or related to the coal industry in Minnesota,” said Newberger. “My district is ground zero for coal jobs and we deserve to know if the Governor, who endorsed Hillary Clinton last year, wants to put them out of work.” 

 

Newberger says Dayton must denounce these comments, and urge Hillary Clinton to stand with hardworking Americans rather than environmentalist special interest groups.

 

“Dishonest rhetoric about 'retraining workers for so-called ‘clean energy jobs’ ignores the fact that there are not nearly enough clean energy jobs to replace all of the good-paying coal jobs that exist today,” Newberger said. “In addition, ‘green’ jobs are transient in nature.  Once a wind turbine or a solar field is built, the workers move on.”nomic impact."

 

Newberger's district is home to Xcel Energy's Sherco Power Plant in Becker, which employs hundreds of Minnesotans and provides energy for a significant portion of the state. 

 

“Make no mistake, these policies would hurt not only the coal industry, but would hurt mining and other energy-intensive industries that employ tens of thousands of Minnesotans on the Iron Range and across the state,” Newberger added. “We need the community-building jobs that affordable coal and other industries have provided for generations.”

 

Newberger said the citizens of Minnesota deserve to know where the Governor stands on this topic. 

 

“Does the Governor stand with them in fighting to protect their jobs and their livelihoods, or does he stand with politicians like Hillary Clinton and the environmentalists who seek to destroy mining, coal, and other industries?”