It looks as if some of the deadlock is breaking in the Minnesota House. Two press releases came our way via Minnesota House DFL communications.
On the Legacy Amendment finance passage, Minnesota House approves Legacy Amendment investments:
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed compromise legislation to protect and enhance the outdoors, clean water, arts and cultural heritage, and parks and trails. The bill invests $645.6 million generated by Minnesota’s Legacy Amendment in these four priorities. The investments will benefit people and communities across Minnesota for years to come.
“Minnesotans care deeply about our state,” said Rep. Leon Lillie (DFL - North St. Paul), chair of the Legacy Finance Committee. “We are proud of our great outdoors, clean water, arts and culture, and parks and trails, and we want to preserve and enhance them for current and future generations. Investing in these priorities will make our state an even better place to live.”
In 2008, Minnesotans voted to adopt the Legacy Amendment, which increased the state sales tax by three-eighths of one percent. The revenue this constitutional amendment generates is divided between four funds. 66 percent of the revenue is split evenly between the Outdoor Heritage Fund and the Clean Water Fund, 19.75 percent goes to the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and the Parks and Trails Fund receives 14.25 percent. All of these funds are appropriated every two years except the Outdoor Heritage Fund, which is appropriated annually.
“Investing in the outdoors, clean water, arts and culture, and parks and trails is an investment in our future,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “For more than a decade, the Legacy Amendment has funded initiatives to benefit people and communities across our entire state, and today's legislation continues building on that success.”
“When Minnesotans voted to create the Legacy Fund in 2008, they voted to make sure all of us – not just the rich and well-connected – have a voice in deciding what the future of our parks, trails, natural resources, and cultural heritage look like,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “Minnesotans can be proud of this Legacy bill because it benefits Minnesotans of all backgrounds.”
The Legacy bill invests $128.3 million from the Outdoor Heritage Fund in Minnesota’s prairies; wetlands; forests; and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife. It provides funding for projects such as native prairie protection; wetland restoration; wildlife enhancements; forest fragmentation prevention; shoreline restoration; and strategic land acquisition for weather event mitigation, outdoor recreation, habitat, and job creation. The bill largely follows recommendations offered by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.
All Minnesotans deserve access to clean water. The bill appropriates $256.7 million from the Clean Water Fund to protect and restore the state’s lakes, rivers, streams, groundwater, and drinking water sources. It delivers funding to assess and monitor water quality, prevent contamination, improve sewer systems, study agricultural impacts, manage the water supply, assist local governments, and more.
Minnesota’s rich history and culture should be celebrated and sustained for future generations. The Legacy bill includes $149.7 million to support the arts, arts education, and arts access and to preserve state history and cultural heritage. Nearly half of the funds will go to the Minnesota State Arts Board, which distributes grants to hundreds of artists and organizations each year. The bill also supports the Minnesota Historical Society, libraries, public television and radio, museums, cultural organizations, zoos, county fairs, and Native American language preservation initiatives.
The bill provides $110.6 million to maintain and improve Minnesota’s parks and trails, which experienced a dramatic increase in visitors over the past year. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will receive $43.8 million for state parks, trails, and recreation areas and $21.9 million for parks and trails in Greater Minnesota. The Metropolitan Council will receive $42.8 million for parks in the metro area. Additional funding will be used to fund restoration and maintenance work and to develop a statewide plan for parks and trails outside the metro.
The bill language is available here, and a spreadsheet of the included investments can be found here. Video of today’s floor session will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel.
We'll add the YouTube as it becomes available.
The second press release, Minn. House approves compromise Agriculture and Broadband budget:
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Agriculture and Broadband budget bill following a bipartisan compromise reached with the Senate. The legislation, which funds the operations of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the Board of Animal Health, the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), and the Office of Broadband Development, includes new strategies and investments to strengthen farming and food production in Minnesota.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly challenging for farmers and food producers, and I’m proud of this budget agreement which not only supports key resources to help them bounce back, but invests in the next generation of farming in our state,” said Rep. Mike Sundin (DFL – Esko), chair of the House Agriculture Committee. “The budget invests in opportunities to develop new markets, supports efforts to continue addressing climate change, soil health, and water quality, and helps ensure we have a growing diversity of farmers equipped to contribute to our communities. This budget is the result of a collaborative effort that recognizes all Minnesotans depend on fresh food to live healthy lives, and healthy, sustainable agriculture and food production industries are critical to our success.”
The legislation includes several key priorities House DFLers included in the original House Agriculture Budget including increased funding for emerging farmer outreach at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the Urban and Youth Agriculture program, the Farm-to-School initiative, the Good Food Access program, the Ag Best Management Practices program (AgBMP), and new investments in small-scale meat processing. To help struggling farmers, the agreement increases investments in the Farm Advocate program, with $150,000 specifically targeted toward farm transitions. To better compensate advanced and renewable biochemical and biofuel producers, the budget increases bioincentive payments by $1.5 million per year.
“Minnesota farmers and our agricultural communities must be successful for Minnesota to be successful,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Agriculture is a major economic driver in our state. Our final budget invests in farmers and their families to ensure our agriculture and food production industries emerge stronger after the pandemic.”
Among other items, the budget also funds:
- Second Harvest Heartland grants for milk and protein purchases
- The state’s noxious weed and invasive plant program
- International trade efforts
- Farm safety grants
- Mental health outreach
- Livestock production grants
- Restoration of AURI’s Meat Scientist position
- Replacement of aging lab equipment at MDA
- An increase in the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) budget at MDA
- Meat and poultry inspections
- Reimbursement for wolf depredation and elk damage
“Republican politicians are fighting for powerful corporations making record profits instead of the family farmers who have sustained Minnesotans for generations,” said Majority Leader Winkler. “We can create new opportunities for Minnesotans of all backgrounds to thrive in our ag economy if we change the status quo.”
In reaching a compromise, Senate Republicans refused to agree to continue funding Market Bucks, a program that helps low-income Minnesotans purchase fresh food at farmers markets. The final budget also didn’t include new requirements for seeds treated with neonicotinoid pesticides, the Climate Smart Farms program, and a new fee on gross pesticide sales, which were all provisions the House originally included in its budget. Additionally, while the budget funds operations for the Office of Broadband Development, funding for the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program will be considered separately in a capital investment funding package.
A spreadsheet of the investments contained within the legislation is available here. The bill will next travel to the Senate for that body’s consideration. Video of the House Floor session will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel
Photo: The Legacy-funded sign. Via Minneapolis DFL state representative Sydney Jordan's twitter account.
Related posts:
- Not in a good way: MN House Republicans' collective temper tantrum getting attention
- Opinion from the Minnesota Reformer: Help SNAP recipients shop at farmers markets
- Ag budget agreement moves forward in House minus treated seed language, Market Bucks
- [Video] Session Daily: Legacy agreement reached and ready for the special session
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