Domestic Policy Caucus Takes No Fuel Ban Campaign to Minnesota Ag Mafia Dinner

We at the Domestic Policy Caucus took our No Fuel Ban campaign to the 20th annual Minnesota Ag Mafia dinner that was held in conjunction with Farmfest. As a platinum sponsor of the event, the No Fuel Ban campaign had a prominent presence at the event and was extremely well received. No Fuel Ban street team members were able to have quality conversations with several supporters, including five members of the U.S. Congress: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (MN-6), Representative Brad Finstad (MN-1 and one of the Ag Mafia’s five founding members), Representative Michelle Fischbach (MN-7), Representative Pete Stauber (MN-8), and Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15). For more information about the No Fuel Ban campaign and to sign our petition to policymakers, go to NoFuelBan.com.

Domestic Policy Caucus Appears on KLGR Redwood Falls to Discuss the No Fuel Ban Campaign and the Presence at Farmfest

Secretary/Treasurer Kent Kaiser, Ph.D, recently appeared on KLGR Redwood Falls to talk about the No Fuel Ban campaign and the efforts in the Minnesota legislature to ban liquid fuels. Domestic Policy Caucus attended Farmfest to alert attendees to the dangers of a liquid fuel ban and the negative impact it would have on Minnesota farmers and biofuel producers.

Learn more about the campaign to prevent a liquid fuel ban by visiting Nofuelban.com

Domestic Policy Caucus Appears on Marshall Radio to Discuss the No Fuel Ban Campaign and Farmfest Efforts

Secretary/Treasurer Kent Kaiser, Ph.D, recently appeared on Marshall Radio to discuss the No Fuel Ban campaign and Farmfest plans. The No Fuel Ban campaign prioritizes American-made, American-grown fuels like ethanol, diesel, and gasoline. The efforts in the Minnesota legislature to ban liquid fuels would hurt Minnesota farmers and biofuel producers and the entire Minnesota economy.

Learn more about the campaign by visiting Nofuelban.com

Domestic Policy Caucus Appears on KBRF Fergus Falls to Discuss No Fuel Ban Campaign and Upcoming Farmfest

Secretary/Treasurer Kent Kaiser, Ph.D, recently appeared on KBRF Fergus Falls to discuss the Domestic Policy Caucus No Fuel Ban campaign. More information regarding the costs and effects of liquid fuel bans can be found at NoFuelBan.com. These bans are being proposed at both federal and state levels, including Minnesota. Our campaign draws attention to how American-grown fuels, such as Minnesota ethanol, biodiesel, gasoline, and diesel, are the backbones of our communities. 

A liquid fuel ban would harm not only farmers and biofuel producers, but the entire agriculture industry. The Domestic policy Caucus will be attending Minnesota Farmfest starting tomorrow to spread awareness of the proposed ban.

Contact your elected officials and make your voice heard by signing our No Fuel Ban petition here.

Domestic Policy Caucus Appears on KTOE Radio Mankato to Discuss the No Fuel Ban Campaign, Farmfest Plans

Secretary/Treasurer Kent Kaiser, Ph.D., recently joined The KTOE Morning Blend to highlight the Domestic Policy Caucus No Fuel Ban campaign. NoFuelBan.com alerts Minnesotans to the absurdity and costs of liquid fuel bans, which are being proposed at the federal and state levels, including in Minnesota. Our No Fuel Ban campaign highlights how American-made, American-grown fuels—fuels like Minnesota ethanol, biodiesel, gasoline, and diesel—are crucial to keeping our communities alive.

The Domestic Policy Caucus understands the damage that a liquid fuel ban would do to farmers, biofuel producers, and the agriculture industry as a whole. The No Fuel Ban campaign will be active at Minnesota Farmfest to raise awareness of the proposed ban.

Visit our website here and sign our petition to tell policymakers that you’re not a fuel ban fan. 

New Report Reinforces the Importance of Short-Term, Small-Dollar Loans

Southwest Public Policy Institute recently released a report titled “No Loan for You, Too!” which is the second installment of an investigation into the impact of price controls on consumer access to credit. The report reinforces the importance of short-term, small-dollar emergency loans in our society where many people are underbanked or unbanked.

The Institute showcases the difficulty of obtaining a short-term, small-dollar loan from a traditional credit source like a large bank. It also reveals that these loans, often used in emergencies, are not as easily accessible as they are advertised to be by supporters of interest rate caps.

Short-term, small-dollar loans are often used for necessary expenses like car payments, rent, or groceries. The loans are most useful when a consumer needs quick access to credit, and as the report shows, traditional credit sources do not offer accessible short-term options.

The Institute’s report serves as a reminder that non-traditional credit sources play an important role in society and serve underbanked and unbanked individuals in times of need.

Read the full report here.

Domestic Policy Caucus Appears in a Real Clear Energy Column

In a Real Clear Energy column, DPC warns that a Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) revision will undermine Midwest biofuels.

U.S. states have been blindly following the California ban on gas cars in favor of expensive electric vehicles, and now the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering a similar rule.

The EPA is openly discussing banning sales of most gasoline and diesel and finalizing its RFS proposal that would undermine American biofuel producers.

The departure from the original intent of RFS is the latest step towards pushing Americans away from liquid fuels and favoring electric vehicles in every way possible.

DPC calls on local officials to protect American-grown liquid fuels and to not blindly follow extreme environment policies.

Read the full column here.

New Report Finds a Growing Number of Americans Could not Cover a $400 Emergency Expense

The Federal Reserve recently released its “Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2022” Report.

The report found that self-reported financial well-being fell sharply and was among the lowest observed since 2016. The share of adults who said they were worse off financially than a year earlier rose to 35 percent, the highest level since the question was first asked in 2014.

Additionally, the share of adults who said they would be able to cover a $400 emergency expense using cash or an equivalent declined 5 percent since last year.

Among those adults who could not pay, most said they would pay some other way, but a startling number said they would not be able to pay at all: Thirteen percent of all adults said they would be unable to pay the expense by any means.

For the growing number of adults who could not cover emergency expenses, short-term, small-dollar loans offer a lifeline. These emergency loans are accessible to people who do not generally have access to traditional credit options, and they assist people who need to pay bills or purchase necessities for their families.

Short-term, small-dollar emergency loans fill a gap left by the traditional credit industry. The recent Fed report illustrates the importance of easily accessible credit for a growing number of Americans.

Read the full report here.

TikTok, Montana, and Digital Sovereignty

The Governor of Montana recently signed a bill that essentially bans the popular social media app TikTok in the state.

The legislation is set to ban state residents from downloading the app within the territorial jurisdiction of the state.

Indigenous scholars have raised the question of what the TikTok ban means for tribal sovereignty and the digital jurisdiction of states. This is a relatively unexplored field in tribal law, and one that is primed to grow with the increasing digitization of the world.

For Indigenous Tribes, the territorial jurisdiction of states has always been important. Social media and digital data add another layer to the conflict over territorial jurisdiction and sovereignty.

The National Congress of American Indians described Indigenous data sovereignty as “the right of each tribe to govern the collection, ownership, and application of data, information, and knowledge about its peoples, land and resources.”

Indigenous scholars have encouraged Indigenous Tribes to exercise and protect their data and digital sovereignty, as it will continue to be an issue as state and national governments monitor the social media and technology industries.

Domestic Policy Caucus supports the right of Indigenous Tribes to exercise digital sovereignty and encourages state and federal governments to honor their sovereignty claims.

Minnesota Joins National Popular Vote Interstate Compact

On May 24, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed into law a bill that provides for Minnesota to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The provision was included in HF1830, the State Government and Elections Omnibus bill. With the governor’s signature, National Popular Vote is now law in states with 205 electoral votes, only 65 electoral votes shy of implementation.

Once states containing a majority of the nation’s electoral votes have joined the Compact, it will go into effect and will guarantee the U.S. presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Minnesota is the 17th jurisdiction to pass the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Those states represent 205 of the 270 electoral votes required for the Compact to take effect.

Read more about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and its progress towards implementation here.