Statement from Kurt Zellers, CEO, Minnesota Business Partnership
On Wednesday, March 4, House Democrats held a press conference focused on affordability, and that’s a conversation worth having. Minnesotans are feeling real pressure, and businesses across the state hear that from their employees and communities every day.
But affordability isn’t solved by adding costs on one hand while promising relief on the other. The Greenhouse Gas Pollution Superfund Act, (SF4126, Johnson Stewart) does exactly that. Retroactively penalizing companies for past emissions creates real uncertainty for businesses and, practically speaking, those costs don’t disappear, they show up in higher energy bills, higher prices at the register, and a harder environment for businesses trying to plan for the future.
Minnesota has always been a place where business and policymakers can find common ground on tough issues. That’s what we should be doing here. If the goal is genuinely lower costs for families and stronger economic footing for our state, we need policies that are grounded in that outcome — not ones that undercut it. We’re ready to be part of that conversation.