Special Election: DFL Candidate Wants to Bring Back Rebate Checks

UNDATED -- There is a special election coming up for people living in parts of Sherburne and Wright Counties. Republican Representative Nick Zerwas has resigned from his seat in House District 30A, which means an election has to be held to fill that seat before the next legislative session.

The primary election is on January 14th.

Chad Hobot is the lone Democrat on the primary ballot. He says economic development in the district is important especially with the pending closure of the Sherco Coal Power Plant in Becker.

The workers that are at Sherco Coal Power plant are spread out throughout the county, and according to the Boilermakers 647 the union that represents many of the workers these hard-working men and women have built their lives in our community and many of them have mortgages, and the ripple effect is going to have an impact on everyone in my district.

Hobot says, with the state's projected $1.3 billion budget surplus, he'd like to see Jesse Ventura-style rebate checks for Minnesotans. He says, if we collect an extra $1.3 billion in taxes, it suggests we are overtaxed.

I remember 20 years ago when I got my tax rebate.  It came at a perfect time, my car broke down and I didn't have money to pay my student loan payment and mortgage.

And, he would push for more faith-based recovery programs.

The two Republican candidates running are Paul Novotny and Kathy Ziebarth. We'll hear from both of them later this week.

The top vote-getters in the primary election on January 14th move on to the special election on February 4th.

House District 30A includes the towns of Big Lake, Elk River, and Otsego.