Legislative Updates

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Legislative Updates

House votes 69-56 to block state’s Groundwater Protection Rule

April 17, 2018

On Monday, April 26, the Minnesota House of Representatives voted 69-56 to pass a bill to block the state’s Groundwater Protection Rule from going into effect without legislative approval.

Gov. Mark Dayton has promised a veto, but the blocking language exists in several other bills, meaning it may yet advance to the governor's desk as part of other legislation. >>

Our letter to the MN House on the Groundwater Protection Rule

April 17, 2018

FMR and our allies just sent this letter to the Minnesota House opposing proposed legislation to block our state’s Groundwater Protection Rule. >>

Top 10 bad water bills at the legislative halfway point

April 10, 2018

The legislature is rolling up its sleeves and rolling back bedrock protections for water quality. Here's our top-10 list of bad water bills (so far) this session. >>

'Zombie' 16-year water pollution holiday bill is back from the dead in #MNLeg

April 9, 2018

What do you do when administrative law judges strike down your Legislative provision as a violation of the Clean Water Act? Revive it, of course — and expand it. Welcome to the bad bill that just won't die. >>

#MNLeg advances bill to grant itself approval over agency permit fees

April 6, 2018

Our Legislature is considering eliminating the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's ability to increase permit fees, potentially pushing the costs of monitoring and regulating water pollution onto taxpayers. >>

Bills nullifying wild rice protection advance at #MNLeg

April 6, 2018

The Minnesota House and Senate are quickly advancing bills to eliminate water quality standards that protect wild rice – Minnesota’s state grain. >>

The top 4 environmental rollbacks in this year's Chamber of Commerce bill

March 30, 2018

It wouldn’t be a legislative session without a bill from our friends at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce to roll back basic environmental protections. Here's the worst of this year's edition. >>