1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to local government; specifying that a 
  1.3             township has the authority to require a natural gas 
  1.4             utility to obtain a franchise from the township; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 300.03.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 300.03, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      300.03 [PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATIONS; PURPOSES.] 
  1.10     (a) A corporation may be organized to construct, acquire, 
  1.11  maintain, or operate internal improvements, including railways, 
  1.12  street railways, telegraph and telephone lines, canals, 
  1.13  slackwater, or other navigation, dams to create or improve a 
  1.14  water supply or to furnish power for public use, and any work 
  1.15  for supplying the public, by whatever means, with water, light, 
  1.16  heat, or power, including all requisite subways, pipes, and 
  1.17  other conduits, and tunnels for transportation of pedestrians.  
  1.18     (b) No corporation formed for ~~these~~ the purposes described 
  1.19  in paragraph (a) may construct, maintain, or operate a railway 
  1.20  of any kind, or a subway, pipe line, or other conduit, or a 
  1.21  tunnel for transportation of pedestrians in or upon a street, 
  1.22  alley, or other public ground of a city, without first obtaining 
  1.23  from the city a franchise conferring this right and compensating 
  1.24  the city for it.  A township shall have the same rights and 
  1.25  powers as a city under this paragraph, with regard to a 
  2.1   corporation formed for the purpose of providing natural gas 
  2.2   services.