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Fresh off his ride on the Buffalo Ridge Railroad through Luverne on Jan. 21, U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn noted the necessary improvements the rail line needs.
“It makes quite an impression that your rail cars can only travel at 10 miles per hour,” Hagedorn said during a town hall meeting that evening. “It’s not very efficient.”
Rail and county officials will talk to Hagedorn again in Washington, D.C., when a local delegation lobbies for a $14.4 million federal grant to bring the 41-mile rail line up to modern standards.
Hagedorn toured the Gevo ethanol production plant and learned about other industries, such as Premium Minnesota Pork (PMP), set to begin production this spring. The railroad could play a role in the new business’ success.
“PMP needs a system to get product out,” Hagedorn said. “We need to work in partnership with state officials to get a (railroad) upgrade.”
An estimated $33.9 million is needed for the BRRR. Ellis and Eastern and other sources pledged $19.5 million toward the upgrade.
The Federal Railroad Administration will announce grant recipients this spring.
Hagedorn visits Pork Producers meeting
Hagedorn’s 24-hour visit in Rock County began Monday night, Jan. 20, at the annual Rock County Pork Producers banquet, which included discussion about the impact of African swine fever on pork production in Europe and Asia.
Hagedorn emphasized the importance of protecting local barns at the town hall meeting.
“We have to do everything to keep the African swine fever out of the U.S.,” Hagedorn said.
Repercussions of the fatal disease in the U.S. would ripple down to corn and soybean producers, truckers, packers and Main Street businesses, some of whom Hagedorn visited during his stop in Luverne.
The recently passed Phase 1 of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade agreement is seen as a step forward to other improving other agreements with Great Britain, Vietnam and India.
Daycare shortage, transportation funding discussed
Tuesday’s town hall attendees (about 30 people) asked for help on several topics, such as local highway improvement dollars and the shortage of daycare providers in the area.
“(Transportation) funding goes as far as Mankato and no further,” said state representative Joe Schomacker.
Hagedorn agreed and said he supports allowing state officials to decide where federal highway funds are used instead of a few department heads.
Hagedorn said work in Washington, D.C., is held up by the current Senate impeachment trial.
The process recently “bogged down” the House of Representatives for two to three weeks.
“We should be working in bipartisan fashion once the impeachment is out of the way,” Hagedorn said.
Several people asked questions about daycare and the regulations that increasing the costs of doing business and increasing the childcare tax credit that may allow one parent to stay home.
“We have people not moving to Luverne because we don’t have daycare,” said Luverne Mayor Pat Baustian.
Hagedorn also fielded questions about solutions for more affordable housing reducing the national debt, immigration reform and affordable health care, solutions to which may be coming soon, he said.
Rock County is one of 24 counties Hagedorn represents in the state’s First Congressional District.
Hagedorn is a freshman Republican elected to the post in 2018 after Tim Walz stepped down to successfully run for the Minnesota governor seat.