 The president's budget proposal eliminates public media funding. Learn how you can help at lptv.org slash action. State Republican lawmakers have approved an amendment that would let Enbridge Energy bypass the Public Utilities Commission and build a replacement for its aging line three oil pipeline. It passed largely along party lines Thursday by a vote of 75 to 57. Republican Representative Pat Garofalo of Farmington amended his jobs and energy bill to allow Enbridge to pursue the $7.5 billion project without further Public Utilities Commission approvals and some spirited debate on the floor before the vote. So what this amendment does and ladies and gentlemen let's be very clear it is legislative blunt force trauma. It tells the Public Utilities Commission that certificate of need it's approved. The route permit it's approved because after two and a half years if a regulatory body can't take action this body is not going to stand by and ignore it and today this problem ends and we take action and we bring jobs to Minnesota. We stabilize our energy infrastructure and we put Minnesota back on track instead of diverting billions billions of dollars of private sector investment to outside our state. This amendment would allow a company to build an even bigger pipeline at its sole discretion through the heart of northern Minnesota. Our wild rice lakes, the headwaters of the Mississippi at Itasca, near Red Lake, Leech Lake, White Earth and Fond du Lac Reservation and directly through 1855 treaty lands and this amendment would allow them to build that without even looking at the alternatives. You couldn't draw a worst map as far as what we're doing and risking with our wild rice waters and our lakes. Now all the state representatives from the Lakeland viewing area supported the amendment. Two of them also spoke on the floor before the vote focusing on the economic impact of the pipeline and the belief that replacing the old line three will make it safer for the environment. We're trying to replace a line that's old. It needs to be replaced in the name of the environment. I mean what do we want to do? Wait here long enough till we have an accident? Is that legitimately really protecting the environment? Let me say that again. Do we want to keep delaying this to the point where we have an accident? Well we'll ruin some wild rice if we do that. It's time that we move on here and simply replace this pipeline with a new modern one that's going to reduce the amount of oil as potentially is going to come through our part of Minnesota and your part of Minnesota. It'll cost an additional 19 million dollars in tax revenue or that can bring property tax relief or that can bring money for schools for EMS services or for public safety for a number of other things that communities and counties can use to help their people in their districts and in their counties and their cities. Opponents say the provision would make it difficult for tribal groups and environmentalists to fight the pipeline. They object to the project because the pipeline would run from Alberta through environmentally sensitive areas of northern Minnesota to superior Wisconsin. Governor Mark Dayton says the regulators are an important safeguard for Minnesota communities. He says he is against any attempts to weaken, bypass or influence the public utilities commission. The entire bill including the amendment passed on a 76 to 55 vote. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.