Candidates in a rematch of one of Minnesota’s most hotly contested State Senate races sparred over fraud, data centers and tariffs at a forum Monday night.
Incumbent District 3 Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, repeatedly described himself as an independent-minded legislator unafraid to buck his party. …
But his Republican challenger, Babbitt Mayor Andrea Zupancich, said Hauschild has voted with the DFL about 95% of the time. She contended the state needs a change in direction.
Here’s what was said about data centers…
Zupancich admitted she’s “still learning about data centers,” as that hasn’t been an issue to date in her rural area. But she stressed that it’s important that the community be “fully informed” and for “everyone to have a seat at the table.”
Hauschild, likewise, said it is important that “local communities have a say,” while noting Minnesota has already passed some of the strongest regulations in the country. That includes monitoring of water usage and ensuring the companies pay for their energy, he said.
But Zupancich criticized her opponent for co-authoring a bill to give data centers what she described as a “free-ride” tax break for 35 years.
Hauschild responded by saying that was an initial proposal, but the final legislation actually raised taxes for the companies “by tens of millions of dollars.” He also noted his efforts to ban elected officials from signing non-disclosure agreements.