Politicians in northern Minnesota, from both parties, have always declared they are “pro-mining.” During that same time, we have lost tens of thousands of mining jobs to competitive markets overseas, changes within the industry, and concerns over environmental impacts. 
On April 16, House Joint Resolution 140 passed the U.S. Senate by only one vote, 50-49. Passing hyper-partisan legislation by the slimmest of margins divides us both politically and also as a community. It does little to solve the immediate issue of persistent unemployment and lower incomes. Real leadership rises above the divisiveness to bring people together.
The political pendulum will eventually swing back the other direction, potentially undoing HJR140. No matter where you stand on the mining issue, this back and forth discourages industry from looking for investment opportunities in northern Minnesota. 
What I hear from people who live in the district are questions about the whole industry, before thinking about specific projects. The passage of HJR140 may have the effect of bolstering broad opposition to all mining. Projects across the entire Iron Range will see increased scrutiny. It will be more difficult to find solutions to problems where we have common ground.
Stability only comes from bipartisan efforts developed through strong coalitions and transparency in the process. What we saw on April 16 was not transparent, was not built on a coalition with diverse support and will not bring about lasting change that benefits northern Minnesota. 
To me, being “pro-mining” means creating jobs and economic stability, while honestly committing to strong environmental protections. We can never place the Boundary Waters at risk. 
We need to see a bipartisan effort to bring the more than 650 laid off Iron Range miners back to work permanently. I am a leader capable of repairing the damage caused by this unnecessary fight and moving forward with real solutions to this immediate problem. 
Aaron Kania
Candidate for MN
House District 3A