Fairmont Sentinel 

By Daniel Olson

FAIRMONT – Less than a month before election day, Senator Amy Klobuchar toured the CHS soybean processing plant in Fairmont on Monday.

The visit is one of 87 Klobuchar said she is taking to every county across the state. She said she went to the CHS plant specifically because biofuels like biodiesel and ethanol are a part of what she wants to continue fighting for.

“[Both] are really important to our economy and energy future,” Klobuchar said. “It’s 10 percent of our fuel and growing. We want to keep it growing. That means things like a farm bill and year-round E-15. It means investment in these plants and a steady environment. I’m next in line to be ranking member [on] Ag Committee in the Senate next year; biofuels will be a huge priority of mine.”

Klobuchar said biofuel is important to Minnesota’s economic and energy futures. She said it is energy that is cleaner and homegrown, easing energy dependency on other countries.

“The more we can do to expand this, the better, and that’s what I’ve been doing,” Klobuchar said.

During the tour, Klobuchar said she wanted to emphasize the rulemaking for biofuel tax code.

“It’s important they get that right, and I’ve been advocating for them on that,” Klobuchar said “We’ve [also] got the whole issue of making sure we’ve got a steady farm economy.”

Meeting all the current employees and hearing reports on the workforce, plant and what she can do to help were also on Klobuchar’s to-do list while at the plant.

The upcoming farm bill and negotiations surrounding it are a big-picture item in Klobuchar’s sight. She said she’s been involved in negotiations and there is a very good opportunity to get it done by the end of the year.

“[Probably] after the election,” Klobuchar said. “We’d have to have a vote in the Senate committee and then put it on the year-end budget. There’s more that people agree on than disagree, despite what some of the people think.”

Fairmont wasn’t her only stop in Southern Minnesota on Monday. She said after her tour she was heading straight to Worthington to visit a corn farm and meet with National Corn Growers Association Chairman and Madelia native Harold Wolle.