It’s hard to describe what it’s like in Minnesota right now. The invasion of ICE into our state has had a devastating impact on our communities, and our work to protect our neighbors will continue after ICE is out of Minnesota.
Even with that, the attacks on our environment continue and so must our work to protect it. The 2026 Minnesota state legislative session starts today and we are prepared to fight for our state and the issues important to our members, like you.
Building off of our work from previous sessions, hearing what’s important to our members, and strategizing up with our partners and coalitions, we have laid out four main priorities this session: PFAS Defense, Data Centers, Plastics, and E-Waste.
Priority One: PFAS Defense and Protecting Amara’s Law
Amara’s Law will always be a key part of our work at Clean Water Action. Not only is this law so important to Minnesota and to the world, it’s also very personal for our team members.
This piece of legislation has been attacked since it was first introduced, and this session will be no different. Following the disappointing veto of California’s PFAS ban by Governor Newsom, lobbyists from the cookware industry are targeting Minnesota next. We have been and will continue to educate legislators on the evolving PFAS landscape and reinforce how crucial Amara’s Law is. We are incredibly grateful to have fierce champions of PFAS legislation in the Capitol and are prepared to work together to ensure this legislation remains strong.
Priority Two: Data Centers
Data centers have quickly emerged as a concern for our organization and partners across the country. With the rapid expansion of AI and cloud computing comes the rapid expansion of data centers, and Minnesota is not being spared.
If data centers are going to be built in Minnesota, it needs to be done as responsibly as possible. We are putting forth a data center moratorium until robust regulations can be developed for these facilities. These regulations would include
- restrictions on energy and water use including priority access and mandatory recycling,
- requirements for carbon-free/renewable energy,
- siting requirements including noise regulation and industrial zoning, and
- restrictions on backup energy to prevent air pollution from diesel generators. We are already seeing the negative impacts of data centers to communities across the country, but we can prevent further harm with responsible legislation.
We are already seeing the negative impacts of data centers in communities across the country, but we can prevent further harm with responsible legislation.
Priority Three: Plastics
Plastics are not a new issue, but they are an ever-worsening one. Looking at decades of published research, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: plastics have to go. We are learning more about the negative health impacts plastics have on us at all ages and levels of development. Plastics, microplastics, and nanoplastics are found in everything from breast milk to brain matter, and the toxic chemicals that leach out of them harm our health.
Along with our partners, Clean Water Action is addressing the plastic crisis at the legislative level in a few ways. We are working to phase out government purchasing of single-use plastic, and we'll soon be launching a campaign to address the issue of single-use plastics and styrofoam in Minnesota schools. And as always, we are reinforcing that the state-wide preemption on local plastic bag bans must be overturned.
Priority Four: E-waste
A drawer full of dead batteries, old phones, and cameras that don’t turn on, left untouched for years. Sound familiar? Minnesota generates 266 million pounds of electronic waste (e-waste) each year, providing a $3.2-billion-dollar opportunity to capture critical metals via e-waste recycling.
The two e-waste bills in this legislative session will make recycling batteries and electronics free for all Minnesotans, funded by the producers who made the electronics in the first place. One of these bills is specific to batteries, and the other covers all other electronics.
We want to create a more circular, more effective system to recycle electronics across the state of Minnesota. In doing so, we could reduce toxic pollution in our landfills and prevent air pollution being released from burning e-waste — both of which are dangerous to human and environmental health.
In addition to legislators and partner organizations, we’re also grateful for our members like you! We would not be able to do this work without your support and involvement.
And your involvement matters! When we deliver postcards you sign at the door with our field canvass, when you send emails to your legislators through online actions, when we stand together at in-person events — decision-makers take notice. Keep up the good work and we’ll do the same.
