Another bill has come forward at the Minnesota legislature aiming to undermine environmental rulemaking by state agencies.
SF 769: (Kiffmeyer)
HF1285: (Pugh)
Stay current
Get river news, FMR updates and event calendars twice a month.
FMR is proud to be a leading voice in protecting the water of our Big River and all the people and wildlife who depend on it.
From the banks of the Mississippi to the halls of the Legislature, our Water program strives to keep you up to date on important water-quality issues. (For political animals, here are all FMR posts related to legislative advocacy.)
Blog updates are also shared on social (Facebook and Twitter) and in FMR's Mississippi Messages newsletter.
Join us! Sign up to be a River Guardian to receive email action alerts when we need your help the most, plus invitations to educational happy hours and other events.
POSTS
February 27, 2017
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
February 10, 2017
Water quality standards must be based on expert science and public input. We need to reject rulemaking by judges and oppose this legislation.
Read moreFebruary 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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
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.
Read more
January 10, 2017
On January 4th, Gov. Mark Dayton and Lt. Gov. Tina Smith announced their 2017 bonding proposal. Dubbed the “Jobs Bill,” the proposed $1.5 billion package includes much-needed investments in the Minnesota’s water resources, including drinking water and wastewater infrastructure for communities across the state. Here are some of FMR's top bonding or funding priorities.
Read more