Q&A: House District 29B candidates Kratky, Rarick discuss key issues
Candidates for Minnesota House District 29B, Colton Kratky and Marion Rarick, are making hyperscale data center regulation a central issue in their election. Both candidates advocate for stronger state oversight, particularly regarding water use, environmental effects, utility rates, and taxation. Rep. Rarick is actively drafting legislation to close regulatory gaps identified with state agencies.
In the race for Minnesota House District 29B, DFL challenger Colton Kratky and Republican incumbent Rep. Marion Rarick are both highlighting hyperscale data center regulation as a key issue, calling for stronger state oversight. The district includes the cities of Monticello, Buffalo, and Maple Lake.
Kratky, a security DevOps engineer, emphasizes the need for regulations to prevent large corporations from negatively impacting cities and small businesses, specifically citing concerns about low-frequency noise, water table drainage, and increased electricity prices. He advocates for trusted third-party reviews of water, power, and sound levels, and empowering the Department of Natural Resources to enforce water use laws, including shutting off facilities that overdraw water. Kratky also supports removing tax exemptions for data centers or modifying them to incentivize water- and electricity-efficient cooling systems.
Rep. Rarick, a 14-year legislator, states her top priority for the 2027 session is closing regulatory loopholes for hyperscale data centers. She has met with three state agencies and Xcel Energy to review current statutes and identify gaps, and is currently drafting a bill to address these issues. Rarick highlights that existing laws, such as the carbon-free-by-2040 mandate and a nuclear moratorium, limit new power plant construction, requiring data centers to rely on power-purchase agreements and backup diesel generation. She also notes that current law requires an amended permit for water use exceeding 100 million gallons annually, which involves a comprehensive environmental review by the DNR. Rarick is working with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to draft a bill addressing gaps in regulatory authority regarding water, air, noise, and light pollution.