The advocacy group Conservation Minnesota next week will release a detailed accounting of state lawmakers' track record on Legacy spending. In it the group raises concerns that lawmakers are using Legacy funds in ways that voters didn’t intend when they agreed in 2008 to increase the sales tax to pay for outdoors and cultural projects.

The Minnesota Legislative Auditor has written the latest chapter in the murky saga of what’s constitutionally permissible when it comes to spending state Legacy Amendment dollars. And in a 37-page report released Wednesday, Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles dealt an apparent blow to a key article of faith held by many environment and conservation groups.

The Minnesota Legislative Auditor has released a much anticipated report about the problems lawmakers have encountered in their efforts to allocate the proceeds of a dedicated sales tax for environmental and cultural projects.

Gov. Mark Dayton’s crusade to get a Minnesota Vikings stadium bill passed before Thanksgiving has been turned on its head by a series of objections from legislators about the financing of the project and the timeline for a special session.

No one seemed to see Larry Pogemiller’s departure coming. Not even him. Gov. Mark Dayton announced late last week that the Minneapolis senator of nearly 30 years would move to the Office of Higher Education to replace former Director Sheila Wright, who resigned suddenly in September.

Environmental and conservation groups harbor growing doubts about the constitutional soundness of state lawmakers’ use of so-called Legacy dedicated funds for outdoors and cultural projects.

The bill, which divvies out dollars for arts and conservation via a constitutionally dedicated sales tax increase, was derailed in the final minutes of the 2011 session by Democrats, who ran out the clock debating issues with the proposal ranging from rural verses metro funding to open meeting laws.

The Minnesota Voters Alliance has launched a campaign to repeal the 2008 Legacy amendment, and the conservative groups has pulled on two House Republicans to help in the effort.

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 House passed legislation allocating $540 million in Legacy funds to environmental and cultural programs by an 86-45 margin on Saturday. The bill drew support from 66 Republicans and 20 Democrats.