Legislative Updates

Top 10 bad water bills at the legislative halfway point

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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

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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

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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. >>

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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

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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. >>

The bizarre case of the $2 million MESERB bill

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March 30, 2018

Every so often, a bill starts moving at the Capitol that defies rational explanation. One such bill this year aims to give $2 million in state taxpayer funds to regulated parties to allow them to provide “oversight” of their own state regulators. Welcome to the MESERB bill. Fox…meet hen house. >>

Respect public input — No fast-tracking Enbridge Line 3

by Trevor Russell

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March 27, 2018

In one of the more controversial moves of the legislative session, a key House committee is considering a bill granting immediate approval of the Enbridge Energy Line 3 project. >>