Rep. Clark Johnson (DFL-North Mankato)
Democrats at the Minnesota Legislature are speaking out against what they say are Republicans’ efforts to cut funding for transit and kill Southwest Light Rail in the Twin Cities. North Mankato Representative Clark Johnson says people in rural Minnesota see the value of a vibrant metro area. “I think we get that,” Johnson says. “We benefit from the economic growth in the city. We visit our children, our grandchildren in the metropolitan area. It’s not like we’re isolated from it.” House Republicans respond their bill would actually increase funding for metro area transit $60 million. They continue to strongly oppose expansion of light rail, arguing other forms of transit are much more cost-effective.