Dec. 29, 2010

It is truly and honor and a privilege to be working for the Minnesota Environmental Partnership this session. I have been active in MEP from its creation and believe in its mission and goals completely. I have served on the MEP board and served as chair of the Governmental Relations Committee in the past. I have lobbied for a number of MEP member organizations. It feels like family!

Needless to say the 2011 legislative session will be different. A new Governor. A new legislature complete with new leadership and new chairs of all committees in both bodies. I have worked at the State Capitol since 1975 and this is the first time I have seen this large amount of wholesale turnover and change. Change can be good!

MEP’s issues are not Democrat, Republican or Independent issues. Protecting our environment, preserving of habitat, improving the quality of our lakes and streams, and using clean energy should be, and are, issues of all Minnesotans. Our message will not change. Minnesotans want clean water. They want clean energy jobs, and the want our great out of doors to be protected and preserved.

The MEP message to the new 2011 Legislature and to our new Governor Dayton and his administration is the same as in the past; “Protect Minnesota’s Future.”

Our Coalition of 80 nonprofit conservation and environmental organizations remain committed to the protection and restoration of Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, streams, forests, natural areas, parks, and trails.

I look forward to meeting with the new leaders and new members of the State Legislature and the new administration. We will work with them toward new jobs for our state but at the same time protecting our environment. We will work toward the advancement of new and improved transportation systems. We will work toward continued investment in our natural resources and we will work hard for the protection of the strong environmental laws and rules that are currently in place.

Happy New Year to all and welcome back to St. Paul!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 29th, 2010 at 12:30 pm by Gary Botzek, Minnesota Environmental Partnership and is filed under Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, Energy, Funding for the Environment, Health, Land Conservation, Legislature, Policy Update, Sulfide mining, Transit and Transportation, Water. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.