Legislative Update: Last month of session kicks into high gear

This past month, GMPT provided a comprehensive legislative update as bills moved forward at the Legislature. Since then, the Legacy bills have progressed through the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee and to the floors of each body. The environmental bills are still awaiting action before reaching the floor.

Some good news—the Senate Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee passed its version of the Clean Legacy bill (S.F. 286) on April 1. The bill contained all of GMPT’s priorities: 

• 20% of the parks and trails fund to the regional parks and trails of Greater Minnesota 
• DNR’s fees are capped at $140,000 per year 
• The six project extensions we requested were included 
• $41,000 that would have been canceled from Greater Minnesota was reallocated so that it can be awarded as grants 

The not-so-good news is that the House Legacy bill contains a carve-out of parks and trails money from all three entities to a non-profit called Wilderness Inquiry. We are working to remove this appropriation, which we believe is at odds with the constitutional language of the Legacy Amendment. 

Other items that we have continued to keep an eye on include the House Legacy bill, the House and Senate omnibus Environment and Natural Resources Finance bills, the potential for an LCCMR bill, and other issues important to our membership.

GMPT has continued to be active on many of those bills—but we really need YOUR HELP on Legacy, so please reach out to your legislators today and stay tuned for action alerts!