Legislative Updates

by Trevor Russell

update

February 27, 2017

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.

by Trevor Russell

update

February 27, 2017

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

by Trevor Russell

update

February 26, 2017

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

by Trevor Russell

update

February 9, 2017

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.

Bill seeks to strip MPCA and DNR rulemaking authority and sunset all existing rules

by Leili Fatehi

update

February 2, 2017

Under H.F. 551, the MPCA and DNR would no longer have any rulemaking authority and all their existing rules would expire by 2022 unless the Minnesota legislature chose to enact them. The bill likely precedes others that will seek to give the legislature veto power over agency rulemaking, a move that will deny the public a voice in regulatory decisions.

Opponents of Minnesota's buffer law claim it's an unconstitutional taking. It's not.

by Leili Fatehi

update

January 20, 2017

Legislators and testifiers opposed to Minnesota's buffer law continue to claim that the law is unconstitutional because it constitutes a government taking of private property without just compensation to the property owner. These claims are incorrect and misleading. The law would only be unconstitutional if it denied property owners every and all reasonable use of their land.

Our 2017 legislative priorities

by Trevor Russell

update

January 10, 2017

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.