Dahms objects to Minnesota submitting to California-dictated pollution standards

In Sept. 2019, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced that he was going to adopt California’s gasoline standards for the state of Minnesota. The governor planned to get around the Minnesota legislature by having the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency impose the new, California-created rules on this state without the Minnesota’s legislators in the Senate or House having any say.
According to State Senator Gary Dahms of Redwood Falls, this presented two problems: 1) California’s bureaucrats and politicians would dictate how Minnesota residents would be able to purchase cars and gasoline in our state, and 2) the impositions would go on without end, with any changes in the State of California’s rules about gasoline standards dictating Minnesota’s standards year after year, with Minnesotans having no say over how those rules affect us.
(In theory, the California-dictated regulations could be changed by the Minnesota legislature and governor, but in divided government that sort of thing almost never happens.)
One of the biggest changes would be in the way Minnesotans can buy and sell cars, and what cars that would be available for them to drive.

The new California-dictated standards are not yet in effect, but Dahms said the time for the public to have any impact is closing fast.

Dahms said he believes the people of Minnesota are capable of coming up with pollution control standards that reflect our economy and lifestyle, and the people of Minnesota need to get their voices heard by their legislators, and by leaving comments on the Minnesota Pollution Control website.