The House and Senate are at odds with each other in conference committee over raising the allowable truck weights for freight loads on Minnesota roads. In a proposal that pits the aggregate industry against the railroad industry, the Senate has proposed to increase weight limits for freight hauling trucks on state and local roads from the current 80,000 pound limit.

Lobbyist spending reports from this year’s legislative session have been unveiled by the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (CFPD). But a word of caution is warranted in assessing the numbers: They don’t include lobbyists’ salaries.