Late Sunday, the 2018 regular session of the Minnesota Legislature concluded with major pieces unfinished and opportunities unfulfilled.
In response, the Sierra Club North Star Chapter issued the following statement from Senior Chapter Representative Justin Fay:
“It is deeply unfortunate that leadership in the Minnesota Legislature has chosen the path of last-minute midnight hearings and poison pill provisions rather than delivering a legislative package that Minnesotans can be proud of.
“Minnesotans value their clean air, clean water and healthy communities. However, you would never know that from reading the major bills rushed through by legislative leaders during the final week. From attacks on community solar energy programs in the omnibus ‘budget’ bill – weighed down with controversial policy provisions – to a historic raid on environmental funding in the bonding bill and failure to make urgent investments in our public transit systems, it is clear that this Legislature was here to serve special interests, not Minnesotans.
“Once again, Governor Dayton will need to clean up the mess. We urge the Governor to veto the omnibus ‘budget’, rollbacks on clean water, attacks on Indigenous rights and free speech, and raids on environmental funding.”