Minnesota Senate Acts on Locks Issue

May 16, 2001

The Minnesota state Senate has passed a resolution urging Congress to authorize and fund longer locks on the Mississippi River. Much of Minnesota agriculture relies on the upper Mississippi system. Each year barges carry more than 10 million tons of agricultural products from Minnesota.

"If American agriculture is going to remain competitive in global markets, we must make these improvements now," said Gerald Tumbleson farmer from Sherburn, MN, and a member of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Corn Board.

This effort was driven by the River Resources Alliance, a coalition of agriculture, transportation, commercial and public interest groups, and was spearheaded by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Association and Minnesota Farm Bureau.

"Our legislature was able to see through the haze of misinformation spewed out by the opponents of the river. This should send a clear message to Congress that the viability of farmers and the general economy of the Upper Midwest hinges on improving the efficiency of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers" said Gerald Tumbleson.