Minnesota Lawyer

House and Senate conferees have reached an agreement on the main sticking point on the Legacy dedicated funding bill for outdoors and cultural projects.

The conference committee negotiating the Legacy funding bill ground to a halt this evening over an on-going controversy concerning parks and trails.

In an attempt to stop a feud between Twin Cities-area and rural legislators over parks and trails funding, Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, got a compromise amended onto the Legacy funding bill.

The House has approved a bill that would remove the current ban on buying electricity generated from coal-fired power plants. The bill passed 76-54 with the support of six DFLers.

A priority for local governments and House Environment Chairman Denny McNamara regarding Legacy funding for habitat conservation is getting tossed around in a legislative tempest.

Four state agency heads have weighed in against the environment budget bills that are currently in conference committee.

Amid the flurry of big-ticket budget bills and spreadsheets that have overtaken the Capitol in the past week, the comparatively puny environmental budget bills moving through the Legislature have attracted little attention in most quarters.

Over the objections of environmental groups, Gov. Mark Dayton has signed legislation aimed at making it easier for businesses to move through the environmental review and permitting system.

State Health Department official John Linc Stine is moving to become deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency serving under new commissioner Paul Aasen.

Rep. Denny McNamara plans to take an axe to a swath of proposed environmental projects that are paid for with Minnesota Lottery money.