Iowa State Capitol
DES MOINES (KFGO/WCCO) – Iowa Republican State Sen. Michael Bousselot is making quite a proposal – he wants to “make Minnesota Iowa again.”
Bousselot wants Iowa to buy Minnesota’s nine southernmost counties, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Jackson, Martin, Mower, Nobles, and Rock.
“States across the country have, and politicians for as long as I can remember have said, we need to grow our state,” Bousselot says. “We need to do the right things to grow our state. And in Iowa, we’ve cut taxes, we’ve reduced regulations, we’ve become more family-friendly, and we’re growing. But we’re not growing fast enough. So, I looked to the business world for the ideas that they have for how they grow, these mergers and acquisitions. That’s where I came up with the idea to make Minnesota Iowa again.”
Those nine counties are very rural and Ag-focused. There are around 180,000 people that live in them. It wouldn’t have a great effect on the electoral vote for either state.
So far, Bousselot isn’t making a cash offer to Minnesota. He says every new Iowan in each of those counties would benefit from lower income taxes, lower sales taxes, and a lower cost of living and is actually proposing the Hawkeye State uses their budget surplus to purchase the counties. Iowa currently has an estimated fiscal year surplus of $11.321 billion.
“My proposal is that Iowa use our budget surplus to come into an agreement with Minnesota and help Minnesota’s cash position, and we bring those counties back into Iowa,” says Bousselot.
Bousselot adds that he has spoken to colleagues in the Iowa Senate and the Iowa House and believes there is momentum to take next steps in Iowa — and to reach out to counterparts in Minnesota.
Bousselot says that secession is not part of the discussion in this case, saying it’s purely a “land deal” and those counties become part of another state.
So, has Bousselot actually talked to anyone in these nine Minnesota counties to see if they want to become Iowans?
“I heard from someone in Luverne and they reached out and they said, ‘Mike, we love your idea. We love what you’re talking about here, but can we stay named Luverne?’ And that’s because there’s a Lu Verne, Iowa,” Bousselot says. “So, obviously, there would be details. But Iowa and those bottom nine counties, you know, the line that is the border is really culturally, we align. They’re agricultural counties. They’re farm counties with farmers and folks that are really a lot like Northern Iowa.”
How does the process work? Bousselot says it has to start with their government before they can even approach Minnesota.
“Well, the first of the matter is we need to pass with our General Assembly, the intent to enter into negotiations, our intent to buy,” he says. ‘And then we’ll start negotiations with Minnesota. Then we’ll go up and begin the process.”
He adds that there actually is a bill in drafting right now.
“There will be a bill in both the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate,” Bousselot says.
Does history play a role here as well? Bousselot says with the nine counties he’s targeting originally being a part of the Iowa Territory, history is on his side. That changed in 1846 when Iowa was granted statehood and they became part of the Minnesota Territory in 1849, and eventually the State of Minnesota in 1858.
Of course a large part of the Minnesota Territory was in North and South Dakota west to the Missouri River. So look out Dakotas, we might be coming for you next. Your move Governor Walz.
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