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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL)

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House Republicans Pass Bill to Clarify Minnesota Buffer Requirements

Thursday, April 21, 2016

St. Paul, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill clarifying new buffer requirements to protect water quality from a bill passed in 2015. Buffers are meant to keep pollutants from reaching our waters.  In the revised bill, Minnesota landowners are not subject to buffer rules on private ditches and jurisdiction is given to Minnesota counties or local watershed districts for compliance.  If these local government entities choose to opt out, the responsibility is deferred to the state and a $500 fine is applied for violations.    

Rep. Hansen released the following statement:

“We hear about bills that pass in the dead of the night, with zero input from the public and this is exactly what happened with the buffer legislation in 2015.  It is the House Majority’s responsibility to provide a transparent legislative process, allowing for adequate time to review bills, hear public testimony and debate the legislation that could potentially become law.  The ‘do over’ buffer bill passed today is a product of what happens when the process is rushed and pushed by special interests without thorough vetting.  Rep. Torkelson’s bill does not provide an equal level of enforcement, removes many acres from buffer requirements and won’t solve our pollution problem.  It’s Water Action Week in Minnesota and this bill is doing nothing to clean up our waters.”

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