UPDATE: Schultz withdrew her amendment after a passionate discussion of Torkelson working for pesticide companies. We'll have video as soon as it is available.
The House adopted the Poppe amendment to Kahn's monarch amendment, and passed the amendment itself. [end update]
Update: here's the video and transcript of Schultz's speech:
Here's the transcript:
This amendment does not allow the use of pesticides lethal to pollinators on land acquired with Legacy funds.
Like I said before, it's very important that we protect our pollinators. Over eighty percent of crops, plants, flowering plants are pollinated and need pollination, which is important for our food supply.
The biggest environmental concern when Americans are polled, after water, are pollinators, so people care about this issue.
Unfortunately Representative Torkelson has amended this amendment, and in that amendment, they drastically changed it, to protect chemical companies, the company that produced the pesticide lethal to pollinators like neonicotinoids. And these corporations are outside the US, countries like Germany and Switzerland.
So again, this is another example the majority in this House representing ther interests of corporations over the interests of Minnesotans.
So, unfortunately, I'm going to withdraw this amendment because of Representative Torkelson's secondary amendment. Thank you.
As readers know, there's been a tug-of-war struggle to secure pollinator-friendly language for projects funded with Legacy amendment dollars.
With HF303, the Omnibus Legacy finance bill coming to the floor Thursday afternoon, Minnesota's pollinator champions are trying to amend the bill to be more pollinator friendly, while those who are listening to the pesticide industry are trying to water down those efforts again. While both amendment authors are DFLers, the anti-butterfly and bee brigade is bi-partisan, drawing from the faction of the House that's identified with production agriculture.
Ever wonder why ag has a bad public image when it comes to environmental issues? Bone-headed, ag chemical industry-friendly lock-step moves like the Torkelson and Poppe amendments to the amendments are why.
This isn't an ag bill, it's Legacy bill, but heaven forbid we follow the will of Minnesota voters and make Legacy projects as friendly to these smallest of wild creatures.
Let's look at what Rep. Kahn (DFL,Minneapolis) and Rep. Schultz (DFL, Duluth) are trying to do with their pre-filed amendments--and what Rep. Torkelson (R, Hanska) and Rep. Poppe (DFl, Austin) are trying to undo with their amendments to those amendments.
H0303A36: The Kahn Monarch Amendment
This amendment is fairly straightforward:
.................... moves to amend H.F. No. 303, the third engrossment, as follows:Page 21, after line 29, insert:
1.3 "Subd. 11.Monarch Butterfly Habitat When feasible, a recipient of funds appropriated in this section is encouraged to use conservation practices that promote monarch butterfly habitat, including planting and maintaining vegetation beneficial to monarchs and avoiding the use of pesticides."
How hard is that? Too harsh for Rep. Jeanne Poppe's special interest friends, who want Minnesota law to avoid the word "avoiding," even when it comes to our beloved monarchs, here's the Poppe H0303A48 amendment to the amendment:
moves to amend the ....... amendment (H0303A36) to H.F. No. 303
1.2as follows:
1.3Page 1, line 9, delete "avoiding" and insert "minimizing"
Can we just stop with the denial and minimizing of risk to butterflies (which are insects) to the herbicides that kill varieties and species of milkweed, their caterpillars' sole source of food, and avoid the use of insecticides that kill both butterflies and their larvae?
Ask your state representative to reject attempts to water down Kahn's language and keep a request that those receiving Legacy grants be encouraged to use conservation techniques that produce healthy monarch habitat.
Sheesh.
H0303A43 -The Schultz Amendment on Pollinator Lethal Insecticides
Kahn is one of two long-serving state representatives in the Minnesota House, but she's joined in seeking protection for pollinators by Duluth DFL freshman Jennifer Schultz, whose amendment
moves to amend H.F. No. 303, the third engrossment, as follows:
after line 29, insert:
1.3 "Subd. 11.Pollinator Lethal Insecticides 1.4Land acquired in fee with money
1.5appropriated in this section shall not be
1.6planted or otherwise treated with a product
1.7that contains a pollinator lethal insecticide,
1.8as defined under Minnesota Statutes, section
1.918H.02, subdivision 28a."
1.10Page 41, after line 22, insert:
1.11 "Subd. 4.Pollinator Lethal Insecticides 1.12Land acquired in fee with money
1.13appropriated in this article shall not be
1.14planted or otherwise treated with a product
1.15that contains a pollinator lethal insecticide,
1.16as defined under Minnesota Statutes, section
1.1718H.02, subdivision 28a."
1.18Page 70, after line 8, insert:
1.19 "Subd. 4.Pollinator Lethal Insecticides 1.20Land acquired in fee with money
1.21appropriated in this article shall not be
1.22planted or otherwise treated with a product
1.23that contains a pollinator lethal insecticide,
1.24as defined under Minnesota Statutes, section
1.2518H.02, subdivision 28a.
The Torkelson amendment to the amendment, H0303A50 removes the word "insecticide" :
moves to amend the ....... amendment (H0303A43) to H.F. No. 303
1.2as follows:
1.3Page 1, line 3, delete "Lethal Insecticides" and insert "and Butterfly Habitat"
1.4Page 1, line 4, before "Land" insert "When appropriate,"
1.5Page 1, line 5, delete "not"
1.6Page 1, line 6, delete everything after "planted" and insert "and maintained with
1.7vegetation beneficial to butterflies and other pollinators and the use of pesticides on the
1.8land must be minimized."
1.9Page 1, delete lines 7 to 9
1.10Page 1, line 11, delete "Lethal Insecticides" and insert "and Butterfly Habitat"
1.11Page 1, line 12, before "Land" insert "When appropriate,"
1.12Page 1, line 13, delete "not"
1.13Page 1, line 14, delete everything after "planted" and insert "and maintained with
1.14vegetation beneficial to butterflies and other pollinators and the use of pesticides on the
1.15land must be minimized."
1.16Page 1, delete lines 15 to 17
1.17Page 1, line 19, delete "Lethal Insecticides" and insert "and Butterfly Habitat"
1.18Page 1, line 20, before "Land" insert "When appropriate,"
1.19Page 1, line 21, delete "not"
1.20Page 1, line 22, delete everything after "planted" and insert "and maintained with
1.21vegetation beneficial to butterflies and other pollinators and the use of pesticides on the
1.22land must be minimized."
1.23Page 1, delete lines 23 to 25
And again picks up the "minimized" language.
Ask your representative to quit playing games on this one as well.
Photo: A monarch caterpillar on milkweed.
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