Status check: Where our river priorities stand ahead of a special session
Lawmakers will have a lot to do during an upcoming special session, including passing bills that will help FMR's Mississippi River priorities. (Photo by FMR)
The Minnesota Legislature's May 19 deadline came and went with multiple items still on the to-do list. That means we're headed for a special session (dates TBD), during which lawmakers will attempt to wrap up the unfinished work.
Which Mississippi River priorities passed before the deadline? And which ones will need to be handled in a special session? Here's where things stand.
Want to see how we got to this point? Check out our previous roundup.
Clean-water crops research, development
Status: Passed in part. Awaiting additional action in special session.
The House and Senate have passed funding for Forever Green in two bills (Omnibus Agricultural Finance & Policy Bill and in the Omnibus Legacy Finance Bill) before the May 19 deadline. But lawmakers have yet to pass a third bill that also includes significant support for the program:
- Clean Water Fund: $5 million — passed
- Agriculture budget: $1.604 million — passed
- Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund budget: $2.1 million — in limbo
While these measures fall short of Forever Green’s biennial request of $10 million, they represent a high-water mark in overall funding. Once again this has been a bipartisan effort.
CLC market development grants
Status: Awaiting action in special session
The Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund package includes $450,000 for the MN Department of Agriculture’s “Developing Markets for CLC Crops” program. Our work to establish a complementary program within the Department of Employment & Economic Development (DEED) met with some success but will ultimately need to be funded in a future session.
Sustainable aviation fuel tax credits
Status: Awaiting action in special session
FMR has weighed in on House and Senate legislation to enhance and extend Minnesota’s existing SAF Tax Credit, including support for new language that rewards the lowest-carbon fuels (read more about that here).
We’ve worked with stakeholders from industry, government, state agencies and environmental organizations to make several key adjustments to earlier language, which we think provide common-sense guardrails for SAF.
Those “guardrails” were included in the Senate version of the Tax Bill, but neither the House nor the Senate were able to complete their tax bill. We anticipate the Senate’s improved version of the SAF tax credit to be adopted during a special session.
ENRTF and community conservation funding
Status: Awaiting action in special session
While the Senate moved both the traditional ENRTF funding and the Community Grants funding out of committee without difficulty, the conversation was more challenging in the House. We expect a bipartisan agreement that includes both funding streams to emerge from the upcoming special session.
And if you haven't read about the new community conservation funding grants program, we lay out the important impact here.
Cleaner transportation
Status: Pursuing in 2026
While bills have been authored by environmental champions in both chambers, neither the House or Senate heard this bill in committee and this legislation will not move forward this session. We will continue to work with partners, stakeholders and lawmakers to move this legislation forward in 2026.
Become a River Guardian
Sign up and we'll email you when important river issues arise. We make it quick and easy to contact decision-makers. River Guardians are also invited to special social hours and other events about legislative and metro river corridor issues.