{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-introduces-legislation-to-reclaim-local-control", "Emmer Introduces Legislation to Reclaim Local Control", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "MN", "Tom Emmer", "E000294", "emmer.house.gov", "emmer", "https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) introduced new legislation to reclaim local control by revoking a grandfathering clause that has allowed the Metropolitan (Met) Council to operate as the only Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in the nation composed entirely of gubernatorial appointees without any local elected officials. Minnesota\u2019s Met Council consists of Governor Walz\u2019s appointees who routinely prioritize wasteful transit projects and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives over Minnesota\u2019s actual infrastructure needs. The Reclaim Local Control Act will restore local control over Minnesota\u2019s infrastructure dollars. Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08), Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), and Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) are original cosponsors of Emmer\u2019s bill.\n\n\u201cWalz\u2019s hand-picked board of radical extremists puts \u2018green\u2019 scams and DEI transit projects ahead of the roads and bridges that Minnesotans actually need,\u201d said Congressman Emmer. \u201cOur constituents in Carver and Anoka counties are being left behind while the rest of the metro gets funding galore for DEI nonsense. It\u2019s time to reclaim local control and end Big Government overreach.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\nThe Met Council is a policy-making board of 17 members appointed by the governor. The Council oversees the planning of communities, housing, parks, transportation, wastewater, and water in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Their work covers 181 cities and townships and seven counties, including Carver and Anoka counties, which are a part of the Sixth Congressional District.\n\nIn 1991, MPOs were designated to be composed of local elected officials. However, a grandfathering clause that was included allowed the Met Council to continue to be made up of only gubernatorial appointees. The Governor\u2019s sole authority to appoint board members to the Met Council has led to partisan priorities being addressed over Minnesota\u2019s actual infrastructure needs, to the detriment of areas that do not meet its arbitrary DEI standards.\n\nCongressman Emmer and the rest of Minnesota\u2019s Republican Congressional delegation have led the charge to oppose funding for wasteful transit projects by sending letters to the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) in 2025 and 2026.\n\nIn April, Congressman Emmer sent a letter to the Met Council to express his opposition to the Council\u2019s proposal to use Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in awarding transportation funding in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, including Carver and Anoka counties.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://emmer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/emmer-introduces-legislation-to-reclaim-local-control"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8652019314467907, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}