Bachmann, McCollum Clash Over Bridge Proposal
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Two Minnesota congresswomen are at odds over a proposal to build a new bridge over the St. Croix river.
The $700 million, four-lane bridge connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin to replace the aging Stillwater lift bridge has long been a source of conflict because of environmental concerns.
Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann introduced a bill Tuesday that would allow the bridge to be built, despite a ruling from the National Park Service that it would violate the U.S. Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
The bill drew the ire of Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum who serves a bordering district. McCollum says Bachmann's proposal amounts to an exemption from existing law on a protected river. McCollum tells the Star Tribune she plans to do everything in her power to defeat the proposal.
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