See previous posts about our priorities for this legislative session and a mid-March update.
The end of the legislative session is on Monday, May 18th and as you can image, a lot is happening! We’ve been busy with Earth Day rallies, Earth Day events, accountability letter writing sessions for members of Congress, and working with partners to make sure that YOUR voice is prioritized as Minnesota’s laws are crafted – not the voices of billionaire corporations.
PFAS & Amara’s Law
So far, with your help, we’ve been able to fight off any attempt to delay or weaken Amara’s Law. That being said, we are always prepared for last minute shenanigans. Help us wrap up the legislative session strong – let your elected officials know that you want Amara’s Law to remain untouched.
Electronic Waste
The Battery Bill language is included in the education finance bill and is heading to the floor for a vote early this week. This bill would create a producer-funded battery stewardship program that would make battery recycling FREE for all MN residents, create many more drop-off recycling locations across the state, and provide education about battery recycling.
Tell your elected officials that you support this language HERE.
Paraquat Herbicide
The toxic herbicide paraquat dichloride is the deadliest pesticide used in U.S. agriculture today. Thanks to your support, the bill to ban this chemical will be voted on by the Senate this Tuesday. There’s still time to ask your legislators to vote in favor of this bill!
And tune into Channel 9 on May 10th to learn more about paraquat and its connection to Parkinson’s Disease.
Data Centers
Data centers remain a hot-button issue at the Capitol, with pressure on legislators coming from every side. While we do not expect our ban on new data center construction to pass, we do expect to see significant progress and passage of bills banning the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to keep local government officials from discussing data center proposals and development with the general public.
This is a big win, especially in terms of government transparency, and it’s because of your support that we were able to knock down this domino. We knew this would be a long, multi-year fight, so thank you for your continued support.
Our work in St Paul is centered on ensuring that Minnesota’s water is drinkable, swimmable, and fishable for generations to come. We work at the legislature to stop bad bills that will harm our water and to advocate for policies that we need to protect our environment. We need your partnership to do this work – join us today! Your donation has a direct impact on our work and helps us keep this progress going!
