At a time when nuclear power is showing signs of rising from its death bed, two members of Minnesota's congressional delegation are prodding the state's legislators to lift a long-standing ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants.

First District Democratic Rep. Tim Walz and Third District Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen published an op-ed column in today's Star Tribune pushing for the elimination of the law that blocks new plants. Their districts are close to, but don't include, the nuclear plants in Red Wing and Monticello.

You can read their argument here.

The op-ed was published a day after a state Senate hearing was held on lifting the nuclear plant moratorium. The story's here. Â