AFP’s Ground Game Defeats Minnesota’s Costly Clean Transportation Standard
Just when Minnesota families thought they’d weathered the financial storm of 2023’s crushing tax increases, an even more devastating economic threat emerged from the 2024 legislative session – the Clean Transportation Standard (CTS). The law would make Minnesota’s fuel the most expensive in the entire country, delivering the final financial blow to struggling families and businesses.
The CTS artificially inflates the price of traditional energy sources to force a switch to more expensive, unreliable energy sources. If passed, residents would pay anywhere from 45 cents to $1 more per gallon of gas and the cost of transporting goods would skyrocket, which trickles down to the consumer through price increases.
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) got wind of the push for the CTS in Minnesota and hit the ground running, educating voters on the dangers of passing the law before the legislature was even in session. After building a solid opposition force on the ground and under the dome, AFP successfully blocked the CTS, protecting household budgets and saving Minnesotans more than $700 million total in fuel costs annually.
The Dangers of an Extreme Clean Transportation Standard
At a time when nearly one-third of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, the Kansas legislature was considering implementing a radical fuel standard that would cost families hundreds – and some even thousands – of dollars extra in gas annually.
Moms driving kids to school, truckers hauling essential goods across the state, small business owners navigating tight margins – the bill promised to transform these kinds of routine transportation into an economic burden. Instead of addressing the need for reliable and affordable fuels to power everyday life, the CTS would turn a simple trip to the grocery store or a commute to work into a financial calculation that could break the bank.
“The domino-effect of the requirements in the bill would affect products, shipping, availability of gas, cause artificial fuel shortages, and force us to rely on a grid that is not yet able to uphold everything being electric,” said AFP-MN State Director Jake Coleman.
The goal of the CTS was to reduce CO2 emissions, yet the state was already on track for a 30% reduction. Additionally, the CTS would force the state to rely on a limited supply of electric vehicles and charging stations that wouldn’t be able to withstand the demand.
AFP Empowers Voices of Concerned Taxpayers 
By the time the 2024 Minnesota legislative session began, AFP had already been knocking on doors and talking with residents about the detrimental economic impacts of the CTS for months.
Once session commenced, AFP facilitated face-to-face conversations between legislators and activists to educate decision-makers on the realities of a CTS, all while deploying a sophisticated and aggressive ground game the way only AFP can. By the time the legislature adjourned, AFP knocked on 200,000 doors and facilitated over 9,000 emails from voters to their legislators calling on them to eliminate the CTS. 
Under the dome, AFP highlighted the disproportionate impact the law would have on working class and rural communities and recruited lawmakers who represented these constituents to be outspoken opponents. By assembling a diverse coalition of stakeholders against the CTS, AFP was louder and overpowered proponents’ efforts. Due to the groundswell of opposition, lawmakers had
no choice but to abandon the bill.
Thanks to AFP’s unrelenting efforts, households and businesses in Minnesota were spared the financial burden of price hikes on gas and other goods. The outcome demonstrates the effectiveness of AFP’s grassroots approach and its commitment to advocating for policies that promote economic prosperity for all Americans.
Join forces with AFP today to defend your community from burdensome regulations!
