After the state Commerce Department said Enbridge’s “Line 3” pipeline upgrade across northern Minnesota is *not* needed, Governor Mark Dayton is taking issue with accusations that he influenced the report. Dayton said Tuesday, “The fact that this came from the Republican Party and the fact that we got a governor’s race that’s already going on should tell everybody to be extremely suspicious of those who are taking one side or another because of their own political advantage.”
Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt says the Dayton administration is siding with extreme environmental activists and putting Minnesotans’ jobs and safety at risk. Dayton responds he did not see the Commerce Department report until the final draft was issued and made no material changes to it.