Following a legislative news update from a Central Minnesota conservative Republican state representative led me to Here’s the legislation passed by Minnesota’s DFL majority, where Alpha News' Anthony Gockowski reported:
. . .One dissenting voice would have been enough to derail their entire agenda. Instead, swing-district senators were reliable green votes on every major piece of legislation.
In just four months, the DFL majority: . . .
- Raised fees for fishing, boating, and visiting state parks;
Well, not exactly. As Walker Orenstein reports at MinnPost in Higher fees for boats and jet skis but anglers, park visitors won’t pay more under final DFL environmental bill:
Those fees are part of a larger package of legislation that includes a massive $670 million infusion of new state spending from Minnesota’s general fund for the environment and natural resources. . . .
“We’re thrilled with this budget outcome,” DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen said in an interview. While the bill won’t have some of DNR’s proposed fee increases, the budget “truly represents a historic level of investment in the environment, in the outdoors,” she said.
DFL lawmakers in the House and Senate were largely united in pushing for a boost to environmental initiatives, and they proposed many of the same spending priorities. But as Democrats hashed out differences between their budget plans, the prospect of fees was one point of disagreement.
Republicans and some DFL legislators opposed more expensive permits for outdoor recreation, arguing it was unnecessary to hike prices when Minnesota is flush with a historic $17.5 billion budget surplus. But the DNR and other Democrats said much of the surplus was only available in the short term, so bringing in a steady stream of cash into the future would help the agency bolster its services as it seeks to upgrade infrastructure like those hatcheries, boat accesses, and campgrounds.
The agency’s budget also relies on those fees more than other areas of state government. The DNR gets less money from Minnesota’s general operating fund, which pays for things like K-12 education and social services.
The DNR initially proposed increases on fees for park permits, fishing licenses, watercraft registrations, and an additional boating surcharge for aquatic invasive species. The agency also asked to raise fees on businesses like golf courses and landscapers for certain water use and on utilities for some regulatory work. All were included in a budget plan made by House Democrats. None were in a Senate DFL proposal.
In the end, lawmakers decided to raise three of those fees. Only one hits everyday outdoor recreation. That’s the bump in watercraft license fees.
The cost of these registrations, which last for three years, would rise between 78% and 143% depending on the size of the boat. The current registration fee for a motorboat between 17 feet and 19 feet is $27, and the fee would increase to $59. . . .
One out of three? So accurate.
MinnPost wasn't the only outlet that got it right. At the Duluth News Tribune, John Myers reported in Overflowing natural resources legislation passes at Minnesota Capitol:
. . .While the proposal to raise fishing license fees and state park fees was dropped, both of those areas will see large funding increases through the DNR as lawmakers opted to use the budget surplus and hold off on raising more fees. The exception is watercraft licenses, which are going up for the first time since 2007. . . .
At the Minnesota Reformer, Christopher Ingraham reported in What’s in the ‘transformative’ climate, energy and environment bill:
Licensing changes for boats and snowmobiles
The bill increases registration fees for boats and includes new requirements for displaying snowmobile registration numbers. It also expands water safety course requirements for boat operators. Earlier versions of the bill also contained fee increases for fishing licenses and state park passes but those were ultimately rejected. ...
Reporting for the Star Tribune, Tony Kennedy's copy in the Outdoors section, Minnesota Legislature passes a jumbo-sized outdoors bill with 'transformational' money, notes:
If you care about fishing, final legislation heading to the desk of Gov. Tim Walz might be considered a record catch.
Bundled in a stringer full of policy changes and millions of new dollars benefitting outdoor recreation, a multifaceted bill approved by the House and Senate broke a yearslong stalemate at the Capitol on issues important to hunters and anglers. . .
If you fish
• Fee increases for fishing licenses, originally sought by the DNR, will not happen. . . .
If you visit state parks
• The DNR will not raise state park admittance fees. Lawmakers declined that request.
While it's sometimes hard to follow conference committees, the environment, natural resources, climate, and energy finance and policy bill conference committee posted updates with each meeting and meetings were streamed on the Senate and/or House livestream and YouTube channels.
We certainly hope Alpha News corrects its copy, and Minnesota House Republican communication staffers send a correction to all GOP constituents who received the article in Legislative Updates from their representatives. The elimination of license and state park fee hikes in the conference committee may not fit the grievance strategy adopted by Republicans, but it's a fact.
Photo: A DNR conservation officer conducts a creel survey on Mille Lacs Lake. Via Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
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