Someone tried to take public policy into their own hands here in Duluth, trying a line-item veto on the rules protecting the lovely pine forest of Minnesota Point. It’s not going to work.

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May 13, 2011

I am writing this update on Friday afternoon in advance of a long evening back at the Capitol as the House and Senate confer the environment budget bill. The House version is HF1010 and the Senate version is SF1029. The two sides have met a number of times in the last week and are expected to reach final agreement yet tonight (Friday). (more…)

April 8, 2011

I am writing this article as the Twins are playing their first home game. The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day all around! Wish I was at the game!

The Legislature has finished another busy week that featured many hours on the floors as they debated and voted on many of the budget bills. With all the general cuts that are being used to close the $5 billion budget gap, the debate has been heated. Many of these cuts are deep into program after program that have be developed and delivered over the years. The pain is real and the concern is being expressed. (more…)

March 11, 2011

As we “spring ahead” this weekend the legislature is moving forward on a number of bad environmental bills. This past week a number of bills of concern to the MEP and its members received more debate, committee hearings, and floor action. They include:

Nuclear Power Plant Moratorium Lifting:

The first meeting of the conference committee meeting met today in an attempt to resolve the differences in SF4/HF9. (more…)

Feb. 26, 2011

The busy 2011 legislative session continues. The Governor has presented his budget and committees are beginning to take a long and hard look at his numbers and their impacts on programs and projects. Committee and floor action continue daily regarding major environmental issues and bills. This past week a number of bills of concern to the MEP and its members received more debate, committee hearings, and floor action. They include:

Streamlining of Environmental Review: (more…)

Representatives from MEP member group Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness were in Washington D.C. Feb. 14 and delivered our Valentines dedicated to the EPA to Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04).

On Feb. 16, Congresswoman McCollum referred to the Valentines when she spoke against budget cuts to environmental protection programs on the U.S. House Floor:

“I rise today to let the American people and all Minnesotans know that this Continuing Resolution is an unprecedented assault on our public health and environment. We know the federal budget is in crisis and we know we must make tough choices. (more…)

Feb. 19, 2011

Another busy week at the 2011 legislative session! Committee and floor action continue daily regarding major environmental issues and bills. This past week a number of bills of concern to the MEP and its members received more debate, committee hearings and floor action. They include:

Environmental Review and Permitting:

HF1, authored by Rep. Dan Fabian (R-Roseau), passed the Minnesota House. (more…)

Thanks to everyone who participated in the We Heart EPA campaign! We are happy to report that the effort resulted in some great actions: (more…)

We all know that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plays a vital role in protecting our health and Minnesota’s Great Outdoors

- Our nation’s bedrock of federal environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, are enforced by the EPA.

- In our region, the EPA helped protect Northeastern Minnesota’s water from serious environmental damage, after it declared that the draft Environmental Impact Statement for PolyMet’s proposed toxic non-ferrous sulfide mine presented unacceptable risks to the environment.

- Just recently, the EPA put a stop to catastrophic water pollution from mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia.

- And, the agency is currently leading efforts nationally to confront global warming pollution and ensure environmental justice.

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Now, however, the strength of those protections is at risk, because the Obama administration is receiving pressure to rein in the EPA’s authority and many new members of Congress are attacking the agency’s ability to do its job. (more…)

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!
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