The Minnesota Senate green-lighted a hefty budget bill aimed at preserving the state's natural resources and enhancing community access to the great outdoors, sources say. State Senator Foung Hawj, representing St. Paul and the chair of the Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committee, took the lead on the Omnibus Legacy Supplemental Budget bill that sealed its fate with a 39-24 vote favoring its passage. "This legislation will further the important work to protect our wetlands, fish, game and wildlife," Hawj is quoted saying in a Senate DFL release.
In an effort aimed at tackling the nitrate contamination crisis plaguing parts of Minnesota, the bill earmarks $5.79 million to safeguard groundwater and drinking water sources. Besides offering specific aid to the southeast part of the state grappling with contamination issues, the bill also commits $12 million to curb the spread of invasive carp that threaten native aquatic life and ecosystems. Senator Foung Hawj stressed the bipartisan nature of the bill, touting its designed projects "for communities and organizations across the entire state, from bills carried by DFLers and Republicans."
Minnesota's voters had cast ballots back in 2008 in favor of the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment, a constitutional addition targeting the protection and enhancement of the state's environmental and cultural assets. The amendment established a system where sales tax revenue gets sliced into four funds – targeting clean water, outdoor heritage, arts, and cultural heritage, and parks and trails specifically – according to the information detailed in the Senate DFL's narrative.
The recently passed financial package distributed the Legacy Amendment funds into distinct projects with 48 endeavors under Outdoor Heritage Funding nabbing a whopping $192.71 million, while the Clean Water Fund netted 16 projects at a solid $25.42 million. Parks and Trails Fund notched $9.11 million with another $12.21 million fostering Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund projects. The bill, embodied as HF4124, now waits on the Governor's desk, clamoring for a sign-off to turn these dollars into active conservation and cultural efforts.
