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State Representative Tom Hackbarth
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-2439
For more information contact: Austin Bleess 651-296-5529
NEWS COLUMN
HUNTING & FISHING CONSERVATION AND HABITAT – WORTH EVERY PENNY
By State Rep. Tom Hackbarth,
District 48A
After almost a decade of legislative wrangling, I think lawmakers are closer than ever to passing a bill that would allow voters to say if they want a portion of the sales tax to directly fund hunting & fishing conservation projects in Minnesota. But there are still hurdles to overcome before such a constitutional amendment will appear on your ballot this November.
For years, I’ve championed such legislation. At one time, the bill asked voters to dedicate 3/16 of 1 percent of sales tax revenue for fish and game programs. The percentage grew over time because lawmakers kept adding on new unrelated projects they wanted funded by these dedicated funds.
This session, I kept my bill simple. It would set aide 1/8th of 1 percent of our current state sales tax revenues and specifically fund only hunting & fishing conservation and habitat programs. It is modeled exactly after a very successful program in Missouri, and would raise about $65 million a year.
Not surprisingly, as I simplified my plan, members of the DFL-led Senate crafted a Cadillac of a bill. The Senate version calls for a ¼ of 1 percent increase in the state sales tax and then dedicates that new money for wildlife, habitat, parks, clean water programs and even the arts. Everything but the kitchen sink is included in the Senate’s tax-increasing “habitat” bill.
Minnesotans cherish the environment and we fund it accordingly. Environmental and recreational projects from trails to parks are regularly funded in the state’s bonding bill. Some 40 percent of the net proceeds from the state lottery go to the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources to further fund environmental programs ($28 million in 2005). And finally, each year the legislature spends money from the general fund for a wide array of environmental concerns, including funding DNR programs.
But what is worrisome to me as an outdoor sportsman is that over the years, hunting and fishing habitat support has been losing ground as a percentage of environmental expenditures. Keep in mind, not only do thousands enjoy hunting and fishing in Minnesota, but these activities help sustain economic development and small business growth throughout the state.
Preserving Minnesota’s hunting & fishing habitat is worth every penny, and I hope you’ll finally have the opportunity to show your support as well on a ballot question in November
Rep. Hackbarth is the state representative for House District 48A which includes Elk River, Burns Township, Oak Grove, Bethel and East Bethel
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