March 17, 2008: Senator Remains Tireless in Push for Energy Policy

The Pioneer Press profiles Sen. Ellen Anderson and her ceaseless fight for clean energy.

Pioneer Press
Senator Remains Tireless in Push for Energy Policy
By Dennis Lien
March 17, 2008
http://www.twincities.com/ci_8597900?nclick_chec...

Glancing at the energy lobbyists crowded into a spacious Minnesota Capitol hearing room, Sen. Ellen Anderson emphasized her willingness to make compromises to a suddenly controversial bill.

Then, over the next couple of weeks, she saw that bill get weakened until little was left of an effort to give the Legislature some influence over a market-based approach to reducing global warming emissions in Midwestern states.

"I've weakened the bill so much, it's gone from doing something to just a statement of ideas or principles,'' an exasperated Anderson said in her office last week. Then she added, "It's basically eliminated all meaningful input to the governor, and that was the whole point of it.''