Today the Majority passed a controversial Legacy appropriation bill that failed to gain meaningful bipartisan support.
The bill has numerous issues regarding what it includes and also what it excludes:
- Continued land purchases by the state, amounting to about 6,500 acres
- Removal of funding for celebrating the 250th anniversary of America
- Removal of funding for commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War
- Earmarks for certain projects to be prioritize for “competitive grants”
Republicans also took issue with the fact that the conference committee met once to adopt the report, after a partisan back-door deal was struck. Members did not have a chance to review nor provide input on the final package.
“The bottom line is that when Minnesotans passed the ‘Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment’ back in 2008, they were told it would do things like protect drinking water, enhance state lands, and preserve arts and cultural heritage, but this bill has become a slush fund for the majority to fund frivolous projects that do little to protect our state lands,” said Senator Steve Green (R-Fosston). “For a good portion of this bill, we have no idea where this money is going – the arts funding is allocated for projects, and some folks come back for funding every year… Some of these projects are even in ‘phase 17’ of funding. It’s irresponsible to govern this way. This bill should focus on what Minnesotans voted for: clean water, preserving our heritage, and enhancing state lands. It’s that simple.”