Today, Governor Mark Dayton vetoed the Agriculture & Environment Omnibus bill and the Jobs & Economic Development Omnibus bill, passed by the Minnesota House and Senate Monday evening.
Margaret Levin, State Director of the Sierra Club North Star Chapter, issued the following statement in response:
“The Sierra Club North Star Chapter applauds Governor Dayton's vetoes of the Agriculture & Environment Omnibus bill and the Jobs & Economic Development Omnibus bill. Numerous provisions in the Agriculture and Environment bill fly in the face of the values that Minnesotans hold dear -- for clean water, healthy communities, and environmental stewardship to preserve and protect the Minnesota way of life.
“We thank Governor Dayton for listening and responding to thousands of citizens across the state, who said that this bill did not reflect their values.
“The Jobs & Economic Development bill includes provisions that move our state in the opposite direction -- including changes to the net metering law, which would allow rural electric co-ops and municipal utilities to increase charges for customers who own solar panels and other small-scale renewable energy. No opportunity for testimony or debate on the final bill was provided until the final hour of session on May 18.
“The lack of public input on aspects of both bills was deeply troubling.
“We thank the Governor for this responsible action and look forward to a fix that will allow crucial funding to move forward in the special session without new obstacles to clean energy jobs and the protection of our environment.”