Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is following South Dakota’s Governor Larry Rhoden and several other states in sacrificing road integrity with temporary weight-limit increases for farm vehicles. Walz also includes logging vehicles in the relief order. Walz matches Rhoden’s 10% increase in allowed weight, which may not save farmers much money: ideally, a farmer (or a logger!) could make only 10 trips to town instead of 11, but each trip would use more fuel under the greater load.
But at least Governor Walz makes clear that the blame for the fuel-flation emergency lies squarely with Donald J. Trump:
Minnesotans are hurting from skyrocketing prices at the gas pump and grocery store caused by President Trump’s reckless war with Iran. And there is no end in sight.
The President’s war has directly raised diesel costs at a particularly challenging time. During this year’s harvest season, farmers and loggers across the state will rely on diesel to haul their crops and timber to market. High fuel costs will squeeze their wallets and hurt their bottom lines, adding to the uncertainty already caused by years of the President’s harmful trade wars.
…In recent days, bipartisan governors around the country—including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas—have invoked their executive authority to help ease the burden the President is placing on their citizens’ pocketbooks. It is necessary to do the same to give immediate relief to many Minnesotans wondering how they can afford the rising costs in every part of this economy [Governor Tim Walz, Emergency Executive Order 26-11, 2026.10.01].
Trump’s manufactured emergency is pushing Walz, Rhoden, and other governors to take actions that put roads at greater risk. Overworking our asphalt is not a sustainable solution to this emergency. We can put an end to this state of emergency by putting an end to Congress’s state of subservience to a demented dictator by electing Democrats to run Congress this November.
Not much gained from this theater.
Quit burning diesel bombing other countries.
So, let’s ease the pain of high gas prices for farmers, so the public can pay for the damage that will be done to the roads. Our roads are already in disrepair, and the government should not favor farmers on this issue. I know lots of commuters who are suffering as well, and they drive all year and aren’t getting any breaks.
How many politicians have to travel 100 miles one way for medical care? How many are 100 miles one way from a Walmart? How many of them are driving long distances to purchase items they can’t get in town? Don’t mention buying online when it takes 5-7 days instead of 2 to get something from Aberdeen by USPS.
Everyone is being affected the same way. This is favoritism to get a vote. Oh yeah, aren’t the feds sending welfare checks to them already?
grudznick had no idea Mr. Gov. Walz was even still kicking around, after the vast corruption in his government. Does that fellow have an election? He should have stepped down.
When former US Representative Tim Walz was running for governor in 2017 legal cannabis was a favorite topic in Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party primary then in 2023 Governor Walz signed legal cannabis into law and gave a head start to the eleven Indigenous Nations in the state but Larry Rhoden hates the Earth.
Well Grudz of course Walz is still kicking. Surely you can’t believe Nick Shirley’s bs on fraud that has been proven false when checked on? Surely your smarter than Mr. Vance. Walz has a much better breakfast than you do, that’s what makes him special. Check on it.
Walz is not seeking another term.
This seems like the GOP/Trump playbook: screw things up, leave later generations to pay for it. It is the only consistent policy Trump has had. Just keep piling on the deficit and party with the money now.