MEP’s executive director Steve Morse was interviewed by the Cucking Stool yesterday after he testified in the Senate State Government Innovation committee against Senate File 1922, a very bad bill that repeals all rules from five state agencies: PCA, DNR, BWSR, EQB and Dept. of Ag. These rules involve protections of our drinking water, mercury, regulating waste in our water, the health of our milk, our air quality, pipeline safety, and more. (more…)

Minnesota’s precinct caucuses are Tuesday! If you have never attended a caucus before, you should know that precinct caucuses provide an opportunity to get involved with the party of your choice, get to know your neighbors, and talk about issues that are important to you and your community.

All caucuses are at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7. Find your precinct caucus on the Secretary of State’s website.

Precinct Caucuses Launch the Election Season
Major parties are required by law to hold precinct caucuses on “caucus night,” as set by the Secretary of State. Each party determines its own procedures.

Everyone who lives within a voting precinct and is a qualified voter (or will be by the next election) can participate in one party’s precinct caucus in any one year. (Precinct = local voting district) (more…)

Minnesota Environmental Partnership’s
16th Annual Legislative and Policy Reception & Forum

Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012
6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. program
Summit Brewery: 910 Montreal Circle,  Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102

Register online

Join us on Wednesday, Feb. 8, to network with state policy makers and volunteers and staff of MEP’s member organizations, discuss our legislative priorities, and hear from our state legislative and agency leaders about their views on current environmental issues. (more…)

We are in our second week at the State Capitol and three bills that rollback protections for our air and water have already passed out of the Senate and House Environment committees. Community leaders testified in opposition, including the executive director of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership.  We’ll keep an eye on these bills.  We expect to see more proposals like this.

But thanks to your help, we had a minor victory late last week!  (more…)

From MEP member group, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy

MPCA files report on permitting efficiency

House File 1, passed in 2011, required MPCA to set a goal of issuing permits within 150 days. MPCA received over 2500 permit applications in the nine-month period between March 4, 2011 (when House File 1 took effect) and December 31. In that time, the agency processed 99% of priority permits within 150 days. These priority permits required construction or significant modification of the facility in question – the types of action that can create jobs. The facilities receiving these 1,632 permits will help grow Minnesota’s economy without delay by MPCA.

Among all permit applications, including the more routine renewals, the agency took longer than 150 days with only 10% of permit applications. For most permits that took longer, there was a good reason: the agency was waiting for info from permittees, there was a significant public engagement process, federal or state policies changed, or the government was shut down. Read the permitting efficiency report here.

Ellen Anderson’s views are clearly in line with those of Minnesotans. An overwhelming majority of Minnesotans support increasing use of clean energy like wind and solar to meet our state’s energy needs.

Anderson’s credible work at the PUC supported jobs here in Minnesota. The University of Massachusetts’ Political Economy Research Institute found that $1 million invested in solar energy creates 14 jobs, while that same investment in fossil fuels creates only five jobs. Clean energy investments today mean solid jobs, and saving money and energy for our children and grandchildren.

Our elected leaders need to move beyond partisan politics and realize that Minnesota voters’ clear support of clean, renewable energy is not extreme – it’s mainstream.

From Patience Caso, MEP campaign director, and Eric Bergstrom, legislative and campaign outreach

Welcome to the 2012 legislative session! You care about Minnesota’s Great Outdoors and you believe in making and safeguarding investments for future generations. Your voice is critical to protecting and defending our environmental policy foundation — your elected officials need to hear from you.

This year, we’re counting on you to join the members of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership and advocate for: (more…)

The 2012 Legislative Session kicks off this week!

While it’s anticipated that this session will focus on bonding, the Vikings stadium, and various constitutional amendments, important environmental issues will still be part of the policy discussion.

As legislators return to the state Capitol, we urge them to remember that policies that affect our water, clean energy future, and Great Outdoors are vitally important to Minnesota voters – regardless of political party affiliation. (more…)

What do you like about Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes and 70,000 miles of streams? Swimming? Fishing?

You should know about Beneficial Use Impairments, or BUI’s.

(more…)

Give to the Max Day countdown: 6 days to go!

Minnesota has come a long way in developing better transportation options: (more…)