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State Representative Jeanne Poppe
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4193
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
NEWS COLUMN
SUPPORT GROWING FOR DEDICATED FUNDING FOR NATURAL RESOURCES
Last Saturday, hundreds of Minnesotans gathered for the annual Ducks and Wetlands rally on the grounds of the State Capitol. As we saw that day, there is strong support in our state for protecting our wildlife habitat and restoring our impaired waters. Many of our fondest memories as children and with our families come from time spent outdoors, fishing, hunting or boating.
After years of declining investments in habitat and clean water, there is growing evidence that our rich natural resources are being depleted, putting our heritage of hunting, fishing and healthy living at risk. To address this concern, there is new support at the state legislature for a dedicated funding source to protect our natural resources.
This week, I voted with a majority of members of the Minnesota House of Representatives to pass a bill that would ask Minnesota voters to approve dedicated funding for hunting, fishing, water, parks and the arts. If passed, a constitutional amendment will be put on the ballot in November, leaving final passage up to the voters.
There were a couple of components of the House bill that trouble me. This bill calls for 3/16ths of one percent of the present state sales tax, allocating $135 million per year to be used in this manner: 60% to fish, wildlife and habitat, 30% to clean up polluted water, 5% to parks, trails and zoos and 5% to arts, humanities and public broadcasting. The concern I have is that this money is taken from the existing sales tax- which means there will need to be $135 million of cuts per year from the state budget. At a time when school budgets are tight, property taxes are increasing, LGA has been cut and we have dire transportation needs, it is hard to imagine where this $135 million will come from.
In comparison, the companion bill in the Senate calls for a sales tax increase of 3/8 of one percent, allocating $276.9 million per year in sales tax to be used in this manner: 34% to fish and wildlife habitat, 22% to clean up impaired water, 22% to parks, trails and zoos and 22% to arts, humanities and public broadcasting.
Another concern I have is an amendment to the bill calls for a seven-year freeze on tax and fee increases. While I am not generally in favor of increasing either, there certainly are times when an increase may be a good option, such as the gas tax in the bipartisan transportation bill that was passed in the House last year. There is no way that we can know today what circumstances could come up in the next seven years that may make a tax increase a reasonable option.
The bill will now move to a joint House and Senate Conference Committee, where a compromise bill will be negotiated. I am hopeful that a good final bill will come back to the House for a final vote, one that will protect our rich history of clean lakes, healthy habitat, and a flourishing sportsman community – without creating a hole in our budget that has the potential of hurting education, health care or transportation.
Please feel free to contact me with your suggestions and feedback. I can be reached by phone at 1-888-682-3180 or 1-651-296-4193, by mail at 231 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 or via e-mail at the above address. If you are interested in receiving my weekly session e-newsletter, please email me rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn and your name will be added to our list. If you would like to stay more closely in touch with what is happening at the legislature, visit my website at http://www.house.mn/27B or the House of Representatives website at www.house.mn.
News Items
- POPPE SELECTED AS AGRICULTURE POLICY COMMITTEE CHAIR - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- Rep. Jeanne Poppe Encourages High School Juniors to Apply for Minnesota House of Representatives Page Program - Application Deadline is November 19th - (Posted: 2012-11-12 00:00:00)
- HORMEL INSTITUTE EXPANSION SIGNED INTO LAW - 2012 legislative session adjourns sine die - (Posted: 2012-05-11 00:00:00)
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