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Speaker of the MN House Paul Thissen visited with concerned Taylors Falls citizens and Mayor Mike Buchite Friday, August 29 and walked the downtown to see firsthand  issues with multiple frac sand hauling trucks on Taylors Falls streets.  The group advocated for the state’s Transportation Policy to be taken up by the legislature  and for consideration of some form of redress for economic and environmental impacts from the excessive trucking and/or possible incentives for sand mining operations to utilize rail instead of over-the-road sand hauling.
Speaker Thissen, D-Mpls,  said the visit was helpful for him to learn more about the issues.  Taylors Falls businessman Wade Vitalis helped in scheduling the visit and said the mayors of Taylors Falls and St. Croix Falls are also having a dialogue, although there doesn’t appear to be a comparable transportation policy push in Wisconsin’s state legislature at this time.

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