Jim Newberger on Energy & Oil

Does not believe climate change is man-made

Democrat Klobuchar, meanwhile, told the Minnesota Public Radio debate audience that federal laws such as allowing sick people to obtain insurance should be continued, said she agrees with a majority of scientists who think climate change is at least partly due to human activity and felt Mexican border security should be a combination of a wall, fence and personnel.

In a rare area of agreement, Klobuchar and Newberger said the federal government needs to find a way to keep prescription medicine costs down.

Don't prioritize green energy

A: Oppose.

Defended coal-burning Xcel plant in Becker

Newberger fiercely defended the coal-burning Xcel plant in Becker; he loved every ounce of its 20 million tons of annual carbon emissions. When those were set to go offline, Newberger begged for a replacement natural gas plant to be built in Becker. He succeeded. So did Xcel.

Newberger's bill lets Xcel build that plant "at its sole discretion," meaning it could proceed without government oversight. The monopoly's $1 billion plant project will be paid for by its one-plus million ratepayers. Expect Xcel to thank Newberger by funding his campaign.