ST.PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Legislature approved $12 million to build a system to slow further invasion of aggressive carp in the Mississippi River north beyond and Fountain City. The money is in a larger outdoor-heritage budget package. The Senate approved the $192 million package 43-23 and the House 115-13. Governor Tim Walz was expected to accept the package. The deterrent system would be at the Fountain City dam just north of Winona. The state Natural Resources Department testified at legislative hearings that there was “a limited but feasible window of time for a deterrent to be installed.” The target is silver and bighead carp that have upset ecological balances since 1980 when an Arkansas hatchery lost them. Since then the carp have moved inexorably north. In 2023 fishery researches captured the first of the aggressive carp near Winona. Soon 500 more were caught. Here is how southern Minnesota representatives voted:
For outdoor heritage funding
Kim Hicks of Rochester (D-25A).
Tina Liebling of Rochester (D-24B).
Andy Smith of Rochester (D-25B).
Patricia Mueller of Oakdale (R-23B).
Brian Pfarr of LeSueur (R-22B).
Against
Pam Altendorf of Red Wing (R-20A).
Steve Jacob of Elba (R-20B).
Duane Quam of Byron (R-24A).
Not voting
Greg Davids of Preston (R-26B).
Gene Pelowski of Winona (D-26A).
NOTE: How southern Minnesota state senators voted will be posted when the Senate clerk releases the roll-call breakdown. Please check back.
Liz Boldon of Rochester (R-25).
Gene Dornink of Brownsdale (R-23).
Rich Draheim of Madison Lake (R-22).
Steve Drazkowski of Mazeppa (R-20 ).
Andrew Mathews of Milaca (R-27).
Jeremy Miller of Winona (R-26).
Carla Nelson of Rochester (R-24).
Bill Weber of Luverne (R-21
Verbatim
Peter Sorensen, a University of Minnesota fisheries researcher: “Without a carp deterrent, the native fish and river ecosystem did not have a chance. Now they most definitely do. No other state has taken significant action before it was too late. No other state has taken significant action before it was too late. Minnesotans should be proud.”