Environment priorities

Twenty-six environmental bills seeking $226.5 million in bond proceeds were approved March 14 by the House Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee, but questions lingered about why virtually every bill heard by the committee is being forwarded to the House Capital Investment Committee for consideration.

“It looks like there has been a great deal of prioritization — and that is none. Are all these bills forwarded to the bonding committee and they’ll straighten it out there?” said Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul).

Hansen added that many bills sponsored by DFLers weren’t heard, and thus will not be considered. “So much for the committee process.”

Among the larger requests are:

• HF2389, sponsored by Committee Chairman Rep. Denny McNamara (R-Hastings), which would provide

$26.6 million for state trail acquisition and development;

• HF2229, sponsored by Rep. Paul Torkelson (R-Nelson Township), which would provide $25 million for the Reinvest in Minnesota reserve program;

• HF2020, sponsored by Rep. Morrie Lanning (R-Moorhead), which would provide $20 million for flood mitigation and improvements in Moorhead;

• HF2410, sponsored by Rep. Tara Mack (R-Apple Valley), which would provide $20 million for projects at the Minnesota Zoo; and

• HF2372, sponsored by Rep. Debra Kiel (R-Crookston), which would provide $13.1 million in bonding for wetland mitigation.

Also making the list is HF2592. Sponsored by Rep. John Persell (DFL-Bemidji) it calls for a yet-to-be-determined amount to build electric Asian carp barriers at two lock and dam facilities on the Mississippi River.

All bills except HF2020 have companions awaiting action by the Senate Capital Investment Committee.