Senate Democrats today passed an environment bill that empowers the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to continue over-spending and fails to ask for any meaningful cuts to the DNR budget.
A core theme of this bill is fee increases. In previous years, there has been consistent bipartisan interest in keeping fees low so all Minnesotans may have access to parks, trails, and waterways. This year’s bill takes the step of increasing fees for state parks and trails license plates, and also creates new classifications for how to apply watercraft surcharges. Previously, each watercraft had a flat $10.60 surcharge. Under this bill’s changes, new fees will depend on the craft type and length, which will result in every watercraft owner paying more. There is also an additional increase to the aquatic invasive species surcharge. All fee increases are set to go into effect January 1, 2026.
“This bill takes massive steps towards increasing fees in multiple areas that Minnesotans cannot afford – our state is staring at a $6 billion deficit, and instead of asking agencies like the DNR to tighten their belts, Senate Democrats have put forward a bill that raises fees that will adversely affect every Minnesotan who wants to enjoy the outdoors,” said Senator Steve Green (R-Fosston), Republican lead on the Senate Environment Committee.
Of note, the bill brought to the floor failed to include any language regarding permitting reform. Senate Republicans successfully offered an amendment that put permitting reform language back in the bill, which would have minimized timelines for permitting and would have allowed for improved safety oversight. The amendment passed with bipartisan support. After initially accepting the A58 amendment to adopt permitting reform with their bipartisan support, Senators Rob Kupec (DFL-Moorhead) and Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown) voted to reconsider the amendment. This move required all 34 Democrats to vote to reconsider the A58 Amendment, and subsequently Senator Kupec changed his vote to strip permitting reform from the bill. Without Hauschild and Kupec both voting to reconsider the amendment, permitting reform would have stayed in the bill.
A recent study conducted by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce detailed the immediate need for reform in Minnesota’s environmental permitting process. The study showed that due to issues and repeated slowdowns with the permitting process, Minnesota not only falls behind the majority of other midwestern states when it comes to expansion projects, but is also ranked 40th in GDP growth from 2019-2022.
“With a $6 billion deficit, permitting reform is one of the quickest ways we can get our state’s economy moving again,” continued Green. “We’ve been losing business to other states because of government overregulation – the fact of the matter is neighboring states like North Dakota and South Dakota are getting permits out faster, and that’s more desirable for businesses. I’m disappointed that this important amendment failed because of petty partisan politics. This is an issue that has had bipartisan support in the past, and to see two Democrats playing political games is something that should not go unnoticed.”
The bill also includes the following controversial provisions:
- Creation of a Foraging Task Force, which would limit Minnesotans’ current ability to engage in foraging
- Inclusion of the Environment Trust Fund, which has never been rolled into another bill before
- Enhanced consequences for abandoning watercraft, requiring the owner of the craft to be criminally and civilly liable
“This bill signals a continuing trend of ceding more and more power to government agencies, and it’s something we should all take issue with,” finished Green. “This bill needs a lot of work. As it heads to conference committee, I am committed to working through the various issues with this language, and hopefully at the end of the day, we have a bill that rejects fees, promotes needed reforms, and supports bipartisan priorities.”