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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL)

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Republican’s Omnibus Legacy Bill Robs Native Americans, Ignores Disparities and Pollinators

Monday, May 9, 2016

SAINT PAUL, MN — Today, the Minnesota House passed the Omnibus Legacy bill. The bill contains nearly $110 million in funding from the Outdoor Heritage Fund for habitat projects, and minor provisions related to three of the other Legacy funds.

For the second year in a row, House Republicans removed a habitat project recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council for the White Earth Nation. An amendment to restore the project was voted down by House Republicans, as was an amendment from Rep. Kahn to include diversity and equity goals in Legacy funded habitat projects and work.

Rep. Phyllis Kahn released the following statement:

“Today was a disappointing day for Minnesota. At a time when disparities have never been more apparent, Republicans again voted to exclude Native Americans from receiving Legacy Amendment funds and they rejected my amendment to ensure diversity, inclusion and equality as goals in outdoor heritage projects. At every turn during the legislative process they catered to big chemical companies and stopped us from prohibiting pollinator lethal insecticides from being used on state lands that were purchased solely for habitat preservation and conservation.

“We saw today that the priorities of the Republican House majority are not those of ordinary Minnesotans, rather they’re of their extreme ‘Donald Trump’ exclusionist base and their wealthy corporate backers.”

Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Minneapolis) is the DFL-Lead on the Legacy Committee.

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