Environment Trust Fund Question on the Ballot
By Senator Jason Rarick

Recently The legislature recently passed a bill that puts a question regarding the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) on the 2024 ballot:

“Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to protect drinking water sources and the water quality of lakes, rivers, and streams; conserve wildlife habitat and natural areas; improve air quality; and expand access to parks and trails by extending the transfer of proceeds from the state-operated lottery to the environment and natural resources trust fund, and to dedicate the proceeds for these purposes?”

Though the question seems straight forward, there are many nuances to this issue that Minnesotans should be aware of.

The main question being asked is if voters want to extend the period of time for lottery funding going into the trust fund. As it stands, 40% of lottery proceeds go into the fund, and the question asks voters if this process should continue for 25 additional years. When this question has been posed before, it has only ever been extended by 10 years at a time, so to more than double that timeline seems short-sighted. A “Yes” vote on this question would extend the funding process for 25 years and would also increase the amount that can be spent from the fund from 5.5% to 7%.

Another thing to note is that a “Yes” vote would also remove the legislature from the process. As it stands, members of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) are appointed, they propose what projects should be funded through the Trust Fund, and the Legislature approves the final projects chosen. This process ensures transparency and gives people throughout the state a chance to weigh-in on chosen projects through their Senators and Representatives. Removing the legislature from the equation limits the voices of Minnesotans – it allows the unelected members of the LCCMR to have total power regarding what projects are funded using taxpayer dollars. I take issue with that.

A ”No” vote on this question does not eliminate the fund. Instead, the funding currently available in the Trust Fund would go back into the General Fund. While that’s not ideal, it would allow the legislature time to better assess the fund and the parameters for its uses. As it stands, there is already about $1.9 billion in the fund.

Though I agree with the sentiment behind the question, this new iteration goes far beyond the original bounds of the ENRTF. Currently much of the Trust Fund money is misused and goes to studies and projects far outside of what the Fund was intended for. If passed, the legislature will have no say in the projects that are selected for funding – there will be no balance in the project selection process. That also means the people’s voice will be completely abandoned on the issue until it comes up again in 2050.

I find it alarming that the proposed change to this process would limit public input, increase state spending on questionable projects, and would eliminate transparency when it comes to project selection. Minnesotans deserve total transparency when it comes to where their taxpayer dollars are going, and this is yet another process that undermines transparency and accountability.