DFLEC Legislative Action Alert
Not just alert, but several lerts!
Many thanks to all who joined us for our March 23 Legislative Forum. We had a great turnout and heard from 3 informative speakers, Steve Schultz with Friends of the Boundary Waters, Hudson Kiingston with CURE MN, and Trevor Russell with Friends of the Boundary Waters.
A recording of the meeting will be made available in the next newsletter.
This will be a busy week at the capital with no meetings on Monday, March 31 in honor of Eid celebrations. The first and second committee deadlines in the Minnesota Legislature are both at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 4. All legislation that is not a major appropriation and finance bill must be acted on by committees before this deadline. Please note that written testimony is preferred due to time constraints and will be accepted beyond the 24 hour deadline. Also, check the combined calendar in a day or two as more bills will be added.
Rise and Repair plans on being at the capitol Tuesday afternoon to advocate for the e-waste bill, protection for wild rice, virtual power plants, and protections from data centers. See links to bill details below.
If you are a Dakota Electric Cooperative member, hear from the candidates for the board by attending this zoom forum. Register HERE in advance for this meeting:
Tuesday, April 1
Senate
12:00 PM State and Local Government
Public Notice Date: 2025-03-28 11:33 AM
Documents added Revision 3
Chair: Senator Tou Xiong
Location: 1200 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
*Agenda items may be added or removed.
Support: S.F. 1598 McEwen Prohibition removal on banning merchant bags
Senator Fateh will be presenting.
12:30 PM Commerce and Consumer Protection
Location: G-15 Capitol Chair: Senator Matt D. Klein
TESTIMONY: To testify during the hearing, or to submit written testimony, please email the Committee Administrator at bill.lunzer@mnsenate.gov by 12:30 p.m. on Monday, March 31st. Include your name, title and/or organization, and the bill number you are testifying on.
Testifiers must be in person.
Other items may be added to the agenda.
The number of testifiers and length of time permitted is at the discretion of the chair.
Please submit documents to the Committee Administrator for committee members by Monday, March 31st, 2025 12:30 p.m. Late submissions may not be posted in advance of the hearing or included in prepared materials for committee members.
Please write to committee members and your senator to ask them to support SF1690, the E-Waste bill. S.F. 1690 Kupec Stewardship program establishment for circuit boards, batteries, and electrical products
1:00 PM Energy Finance and Policy
Location: Capitol 123
Chair: Rep. Patty Acomb
Alternate Chair: Rep. Chris Swedzinski
Agenda:
Support: HF2928 (Acomb) - Preapplication filings for large water appropriation projects required, permit application information for large water appropriation projects added, level of environmental review for data centers specified, data centers exempted from making financial contributions to an energy conservation and optimization plan, and other data center provisions modified.
HF2912 (Her) - Macalester College geothermal energy system funding provided, and money appropriated.
Support HF2297 (Myers) - Special license plate established for solar pollinator programs, and agrivoltaic solar sites made eligible for solar site management practices.
Support: Revisor Code 25-04891 (Kraft) - Virtual power plants, Revisor Code 25-04891 (Kraft) - Virtual power plants
***25-04891 is pending introduction
Items may be added or removed from the agenda.
If you wish to submit written testimony or testify, please send the written testimony or the request to testify to Mike.Molzahn@house.mn.gov by 1 p.m. the day before the meeting. Written testimony is preferred and will be accepted after the deadline. In-person testimony may be limited due to committee time constraints.
3:00 PM Environment, Climate, and Legacy
Public Notice Date: 3/25/2025 4:51 PM
Location: 1150 Minnesota Senate Bldg.
Chair: Senator Foung Hawj
Please submit documents to be posted for committee members by March 31, 2025, 3:00 pm. Late submissions may Not be posted in advance of the hearing Or included in prepared materials for committee members.
All handouts and requests for testimony (both in-person and virtual) MUST be submitted using the following Testimony Request Form:
Testimony Request Form - 4-1-2025
Please look into these bills.
Agenda:
Call To Order
S.F. 2735 SeebergerAbandoned boats removal and disposal requirement provision
S.F. 2345 Hawj Various natural resources provisions modifications
S.F. 2781 HawjCertain environmental review reporting requirements modifications
S.F. 2782 Hawj Environmental Quality Board obsolete provisions removal
Join Rise and Repair for an afternoon of grassroots advocacy on Tuesday.
Wednesday, April 2
1:00 PM Agriculture Finance and Policy
Location: Capitol G3
Chair: Rep. Paul Anderson
Agenda:
Agenda note: HF2446 (Anderson) is the Governor’s recommended Agriculture budget. The committee will do a walkthrough and take testimony on the bill, but no action will be taken.
Bills Added
SUPPORT: HF1795 Nelson Farm to school and early care programs funding provided, and money appropriated.
SUPPORT HF2916 Smith Southeast regional groundwater protection and soil health initiative funding provided, and money appropriated.
Committee Documents:
Thursday, April 3
1:00 PM Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy
Location: Capitol G3
Chair: Rep. Peter Fischer
Alternate Chair: Rep. Josh Heintzeman
These bills deserve support. We need a bill similar to HF 2861 for comprehensive planning and management of ALL our groundwater resources.
Agenda:
HF2419 (Tabke) Life jackets for children aboard watercraft required to have reflective material.
HF2602 (Vang) Replacement seedlings appropriation modified and extended.
HF2620 (Finke) Emerald ash borer response and community tree-planting grants funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF2621 (Finke) Community tree-planting grants funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF2861 (Curran) Groundwater management areas and comprehensive planning provided, and money appropriated.
*Additional bills will be added.
TESTIMONY AND MATERIALS SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Individuals wishing to testify or submit written testimony or handouts for the hearing must e-mail the committee administrator (Peter.Strohmeier@house.mn.gov) by 1 p.m. the day prior to the hearing. Handouts must be in PDF format with OCR capability. In-person testimony may be limited due to committee time constraints.
Other actions to take:
Support Community Solar, from Our Sun, Our Power
Ban the ban on plastic bags, from Clean Water Action
Take action to Protect the Boundary Waters, from Friends of the Boundary Waters
Save the date:
Earth Day with MN350 and the DFL Environmental Caucus, April 19, 12-3 pm
In the news:
The Minnesota House has reached a budget framework agreement
Senate Democrats propose budget cuts