Greetings District 10!
I hope you enjoyed celebrating with family and friends over the Easter holiday weekend. The Senate was back to work this week—and we have less than six weeks to go until the end of the 2021 legislative session. Here is recent news from St. Paul.
Legacy Finance bill Protects & Maintains Minnesota’s Treasured Resources
This week, my Senate Environment Legacy Finance bill SF971 passed with broad bipartisan support. This bill appropriates $645.6 million to the Outdoor Heritage Fund, the Clean Water Fund, the Parks and Trails Fund, and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The bill focuses on providing key appropriations that will preserve, protect, and maintain Minnesota’s natural resources.
In 2008, Minnesotans voted to amend the State Constitution to include the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment (referred to informally as the Legacy Amendment). This amendment allocated three-eighths of one percent of the sales tax to contribute to four funds that aim to protect drinking water sources, re-store and enhance wetlands/prairies/forests/wildlife habitats, preserve arts and cultural heritage, support parks and trails, and protect and enhance lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater.
“Minnesota has been blessed with an abundance of natural resources that are important to maintain, and the appropriations we have in this bill focus on doing just that, I’m proud of the work we’ve done and continue to do to restore and preserve our state’s natural treasures. We are surrounded by incredible beauty across Minnesota, and we must continue to protect our lands and habitats for future generations.”
Notably, this bill includes the full $128 million spending recommendation from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund, as well as the full recommendation of $110.6 million for the Parks and Trails Fund.
Additionally, the Clean Water Fund will receive $256.7 million. This portion of the appropriation includes funding for the Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, and the Public Facilities Authority. Other notable inclusions are $20.24 million for the Department of Agriculture, $16.8 million for the Department of Natural Resources, and $2.6 million for the University of Minnesota.
The Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund will also receive $149.7 million in appropriations, of which 47% of the Fund will be dedicated to the State Arts Board. This Fund will also allocate money to the Minnesota Historical Society and the Humanities Center.
Senate Vaccine Passport Legislation
I have signed on as co-author to Legislation introduced in the Minnesota Senate that seeks to ban controversial vaccine passports SF1589. This issue has surfaced in recent weeks due to a White House press briefing in which the Press Secretary alluded to the White House providing guidelines & standards for vaccine passports. Many companies have already begun developing digital passports that use scannable codes to show that an individual has been vaccinated with one of the COVID-19 vaccines. Talk of implementing these passports in Minnesota began in February.
“Medical decisions are made between a patient and their doctor and there is absolutely no reason people should be forced to carry cards confirming or denying their vaccine status—it is not the government’s business. No other disease requires you to carry identification like this, and there’s no reason we should travel down that slippery slope with COVID-19.”
The proposed legislation prohibits employers or employment agencies from requiring employees to use any form of digital contact tracing, nor can a person’s choice to opt out of the contact tracing affect the terms or conditions of their employment. While individuals may voluntarily elect to use applications for contact tracing and proof of vaccination, the commissioner of health and/or local health departments are prohibited from requiring participation. Language in the bill also prohibits state agencies or local units of government from requiring individuals to submit proof of immunization.
Walleye Reduction Limit Legislation
The four Walleye legislation SF12 is moving forward in the Minnesota Senate—it is included in the Senate Omnibus Environment Finance bill SF959.
Approximately $100 Million Available for Wildlife Habitat Grants
Great news from the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council—$100 million in grants will be available for Minnesota habitat restoration, preservation, and enhancement. Applications for funding are due by May 27 at 4:00 pm. For more information regarding submitting funding requests, visit this website: LSOHC
Staying in Touch
Thank you for taking the time to read my weekly legislative update. If you’re looking to hear more from the Capitol, please like me on Facebook. Have a great weekend!
As always please feel free to contact my office with any questions you might have. My office can be reached by phone at (651) 296-4913 or at sen.carrie.ruud@senate.mn.
Talk to you soon!
Carrie Ruud