MN House & Senate rewrite Legacy and undercut Clean Water Fund recommendations.
A pair of bills advanced in the House and Senate this week that re-write appropriations for the State’s Clean Water Fund. These bills:
- Undermine the Clean Water Council’s recommendations;
- Violate the Legislature’s 2015 promise to taxpayers on buffer funding; and
- Reduce or eliminate funding for drinking water, agricultural conservation, water monitoring and other core clean water programs.
Act now: Save the buffers! Protect our waters
The Minnesota Legislature is considering rolling back the buffer law, undermining critical protection for Minnesota’s public waters.
FMR is asking all supporters of clean water to act now to protect Minnesota’s buffer law. Contact your representatives today!
Clean Water Fund bill brought forward in the House
FMR strongly supports a bill introduced by Rep. Paul Torkelson (R – Hanska) to allocate the Minnesota’s Clean Water Fund (Legacy Amendment) money as recommended by the state’s 28-member Clean Water Council. FMR applauds Rep. Torkelson for his leadership on this issue, and looks forward to working with him to help HF 1731 earn Gov. Mark Dayton’s signature.
Unexpected amendment undermines state’s buffer law
An unexpected amendment to the state's buffer law undermines Gov. Mark Dayton’s landmark buffer initiative by removing 50-foot buffers from as many as 48,000 miles of Minnesota streams.
Agency rulemaking attack take three! Now with suspension of river phosphorus standards!
In yet another attack on state agency authority, SF 1283 requires legislative approval of most state water quality rules and standards and suspends Minnesota’s hard-won river phosphorus standards pending legislative approval.
SF 1283 (Newman, Ingebrigtsen, Utke, Eken, Tomassoni)
Status: Introduced and referred to Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance
Agency rulemaking attack take two!
Another bill has come forward at the Minnesota legislature aiming to undermine environmental rulemaking by state agencies.
SF 769: (Kiffmeyer)
HF1285: (Pugh)
Bill to eliminate Environmental Quality Board, rollback environmental review brought forward.
A bill recently introduced in the Minnesota Legislature aims to make dramatic rollbacks to Minnesota’s environmental review and permitting processes while eliminating the Environmental Quality Board.
Buffer rollbacks persist at legislature
A handful of rollbacks to Governor Dayton’s landmark 2014 Buffer Rule continue to capture legislative attention at the Minnesota Capitol this session.
House bill aims to replace the Legacy Amendment
A bill introduced by Republican Rep. Steve Green (Fosston) would require the state to conduct a new referendum to replace the Legacy Amendment with funds for a narrow list of highway and bridge projects and bar Clean Water Fund spending on most clean-up and restoration projects.
FMR’s 2017 legislative priorities
Water issues will once again be a hot topic during this year's legislative session. While Gov. Mark Dayton has made water a priority, House and Senate majority parties have signaled intentions to roll back policies and funding essential to protecting Minnesota’s rivers, lakes and streams.
Without a doubt, defending against these rollbacks and securing much-needed funding for critical water infrastructure will be our top priorities during the 2017 legislative session.