After numerous sessions and a lot of help from the community the mural “Jumping Deer” is finished at Benny’s Meat Market. Hannah Anema celebrates by posting a picture to the Facebook group page pARTicipate Hutchinson, A Community Mural Project with a list of all the volunteers.
Artist Hannah Anema has begun one of the murals of the pARTicipate Hutchinson mural project, with the outline of her work appearing on the wall of the Olita Gifts and Goods building at 3 Main St. N.
Murals are popping up all over town as artists apply their brushes to the bricks — or panels for some — for the pARTicipate Hutchinson public mural project.
Hannah Anema is responsible for three of the murals. She has completed “Flowers” and “Jumping Deer,” and will be working on “Deer Head” throughout the rest of July.
“Flowers” can be seen as you drive up State Highway 15 on the side of Olita Gifts and Goods. The black prairie flowers contrast strikingly with white background of the painted bricks.
The “Jumping Deer” mural is spread across the back exterior wall at Benny’s Meat Market. The mural features a breathtaking depiction of a leaping deer, capturing the grace and beauty of local wildlife. The attention to detail is extraordinary, with each brushstroke conveying a sense of movement and life.
The “Deer Head” mural will be on the wall of the State Farm Insurance building. Anema said the mural will feature the head of a deer and between its antlers will be a pond full of wildlife in and around it.
“Nature is my greatest muse,” Anema said. “Working as a fisheries technician for the DNR allows me to immerse myself in the beauty of our lakes and observe the wonders of the natural world. From vibrant sunsets to the intricate patterns on fish scales, I draw inspiration from these experiences and translate them into my artwork.”
What sets Anema’s work apart is not just the visual impact but the community involvement in the creative process. She collaborates with volunteers, inviting them to contribute to the murals. This approach can foster a sense of ownership and pride among the residents, she said, creating a lasting connection between the artwork and the community.
“The participation of the community is vital to the success of these murals,” Anema said. “Having individuals invest their time and energy in the creation process fosters a sense of unity and shared purpose. It’s heartwarming to witness people pointing out their contributions to the murals to their friends and family. The murals become a collective effort and a source of community pride.”
The impact of Anema’s murals extends beyond the artwork itself. Inspired by the vibrant and engaging public art, local businesses and residents have embraced the opportunity to beautify their surroundings.
“It’s fun to see everyone coming together to kind of build up the community,” Anema said. “And I’ve even seen, just with our mural work, people redoing the front stoop of their shop or adding more flowers. Or I even saw there’s been some cleanup work on the mural on the front side of town. Just everyone kind of sprucing everything up, and it leads to beautifying the whole city. Imagine all of that coming from our murals.”
Reflecting on the artistic journey, Anema emphasized the importance of patience and self-investment.
“Art is a lifelong pursuit. It takes time and dedication to develop one’s craft fully. As artists, we are constantly learning and evolving. Investing in our own growth and staying committed to our artistic vision is key,” she said. “The pARTicipate Hutchinson project has provided me with an incredible platform to showcase my work and connect with the community, and I’m excited to see where this journey takes me.”
Dan Moe of The Farm of Minnesota, located north of Hutchinson, specializes in certified organic produce.
Wyatt Getten operations manager for Crow River Winery manages the 30 acres of vineyards in Hutchinson.
Wyatt Getten, tends to the vineyard to create optimal air flow for the grapes.
Minnesota farmers have encountered drought in recent years, but this growing season presents a new challenge as the problem emerged abnormally early in certain parts of the state.
The current dry spell, accompanied by unusually warm weather during the early summer months, has potential to affect different crops in different ways. Agriculture is dependent on specific climate conditions and Minnesota’s crop yields are affected by changes in temperature, humidity, cloud cover and precipitation.
“The areas with lighter soil are struggling a lot more,” former Minnesota Corn Growers Association President Brian Thalmann, who farms in rural Plato, said. “Throughout the area and throughout a lot of the Midwest, there’s areas that need rain sooner.”
According to Thalmann, the long winter delayed planting season. The region experienced a much-needed rain event in the middle of May. However, after that rainfall, the county suffered from limited moisture. While some small rains have been sporadic, much more substantial rainfall is needed to bring corn to its desired condition.
With the critical corn pollination stage approaching, Tom Hagg, president of the Corn Board of the National Corn Growers association and Eden Valley farmer, is cautiously optimistic but aware of the hurdles farmers face.
“We’re about halfway through the growing season, so we’ll see how the rest of it goes,” Hagg said “If we can get some other key rains here, we can still end up with a respectable crop.”
Hagg noted young corn plants require less moisture and can endure drier conditions. However, as the plants grow taller and the ears develop, they demand more water to ensure optimal kernel formation. Insufficient rainfall during this critical stage can divert the plant’s energy away from the cob, resulting in lower yield expectations.
“If we get some critical rains coming down the road here when the corn starts to pollinate, that tassel starts to shoot.” Hagg said. “If you can get a nice inch of rain there, two-inch rain there, and during that long couple weeks when the kernels are starting to fill, you can end up with still a respectable crop.”
Dan Moe, who operates a certified organic farm north of Hutchinson, cultivates a diverse range of organic produce, including elderberries, asparagus, potatoes, herbs, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, winter and summer squash, cabbage, lettuce, four varieties of kale and Swiss chard. Because of the types of produce he grows, Moe practices irrigation techniques to combat water scarcity and meet the demands of a changing environment.
“By implementing irrigation, we can deliver water directly to the roots of our plants, minimizing evaporation and maximizing water absorption,” Moe said.
He also highlighted the importance of organic farming for drought-proofing agriculture land.
“Organic matter is like putting sponges in the soil,” Moe said. “And so, when it does rain, they hold all the water right here and then they release it very, very slowly. The biology in the soil is your organic farmer’s life. The biology in the soil is what makes the relationship with the plant. They take care of each other.”
One crop that benefits from dry weather is grapes.
Crow River Winery operations manager Wyatt Getten noted that the dry weather is beneficial for grape cultivation. Grapes are naturally suited to drier climates, and the moisture received from heavy snow during the winter set the vineyard up for success during the dry spell. He also noted that excessive moisture can lead to disease and fungus growth, making the current dry spell beneficial for grape cultivation.
“Having the moisture in the beginning set us up to be in a good spot, we’re now kind of pushing through this dry period,” Getten said of the Hutchinson vineyard’s location. “So, it’s, it’s been pretty beneficial. We’re kind of getting to that point now where we’d like to see a little bit of moisture just to keep things rolling. However, if we had downpours that could cause grapes to swell at this point and can cause splitting and there’s issues with that as well.”
According to Getten, excessive moisture can lead to diseases and fungus growth, so the lack of rainfall this year has resulted in minimal issues with pests and diseases.
Crow River Winery relies on weather patterns and does not use irrigation due to cost.
“More moisture is more of a concern for us than less,” Getten said. “Grapes are kind of unique in that sense — roots run pretty deep, so having that available moisture first thing this spring was probably a benefit.”
The concerns surrounding this year’s crops extend beyond immediate uncertainties. The broader context of climate change looms large, with the Midwest, including southern Minnesota, grappling with the repercussions of a changing climate. Rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events characterize this new reality. These changes place immense strain on the agricultural economy and threaten food security.
“I’m confident that this year’s going to be good, I’m a farmer I have to have hope,” Moe said.
A full slate of new laws took effect July 1, the result of the Minnesota Legislature’s work during its session that ended in May.
New laws touch on a wide variety of topics, from the highly anticipated passage of rules allowing the recreational use of cannabis to the less-watched law providing an increase in election spending to help local governments in covering cost of voting operations and technology.
Here’s a rundown of some of the new legislation:
AGRICULTURE
Protection for grain sellers, money for broadband among key provisions in new law
General Fund appropriations by agency in the 2024-25 biennium include $163.45 million to the Department of Agriculture (an increase of nearly $40 million); $125.7 million to the Department of Employment and Economic Development Office of Broadband Development (an increase of $100 million); and $12.64 million to the Board of Animal Health.
Appropriations for the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation Program are $50.2 million, including $11.5 million for bioincentive payments. Other spending includes $4 million to the Dairy Assistance, Investment, Relief Initiative program which supports smaller dairy farms enrolled in the federal Dairy Margin Coverage Program; $4 million for grants to support urban and youth agriculture programs; $2.5 million for livestock processing grants; $2.3 million to the Farm to School program, which can include early childhood education centers; and $2 million for the good food access program.
The law appropriates $21.4 million to the University of Minnesota Agriculture Research, Education, Extension, and Technology Transfer program — including $4.5 million to Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council; $2 million for avian flu research; $1.6 million to Forever Green that develops winter-hardy, living soil cover crops; and $700,000 for deep winter greenhouses.
Other appropriations in the law include: $3.9 million to Second Harvest Heartland for the state’s six Feeding America food banks (of which at least $850,000 must be for milk); $1.25 million for soil health grants up to $50,000 per recipient; $500,000 to develop continuous-living cover crops; $372,000 to promote Minnesota grown products; and $300,000 to for noxious weed management.
The law will appropriate $125.7 million to the Office of Broadband Development. It also increases the amount available to a single project in the border-to-border broadband program to $10 million. Furthermore, it will set aside $20 million each year for projects where a 50% state match is insufficient. The lower-density program can fund up to 75% of project costs.
The legislation creates a grain indemnity fund to compensate farmers should an elevator go bankrupt and appropriates $10 million to get the fund off the ground. It also repeals statutes requiring surety bonds for licensed grain purchasers.
A major policy provision aims to reduce the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment.
Additional support for emerging farmers, meaningful protection for grain sellers and additional money to expand access to broadband are among the provisions of a new law that provides funding for the Department of Agriculture.
BUSINESS AND COMMERCE
Some adult-use cannabis provisions taking effect
Minnesota is the 23rd state to enact legislation legalizing adult-use recreational cannabis.
Rep. Zack Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids, and Sen. Lindsey Port, DFL-Burnsville, sponsored the law establishing a regulatory framework for statewide and local structures to regulate, tax, and manage cannabis sales to adults. Much of it took effect July 1.
The law appropriates $70.3 million in the 2024-25 biennium to establish cannabis regulatory programs.
An Office of Cannabis Management is established to approve product categories of cannabis flower, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products for retail sale, and prohibit any product that is packaged in a way to be attractive to children; establish environmental standards in the cannabis industry, in consultation with the Pollution Control Agency; and set limits on the personal use of cannabis for individuals 21 years of age or older.
A 10% tax will be charged on retail cannabis sales. Effective July 1, 2023, 20% of retail cannabis taxes will be distributed to local governments, with the rest going to the General Fund. Half the revenue sent to local governments will be distributed equally across all 87 counties, and the remaining 50% to counties using a formula based on the number of cannabis businesses located in a county.
To pay for establishing the regulatory structure for adult-use cannabis and other costs that will be incurred before the legal sale of adult-use cannabis begins to generate retail tax and license fee revenue, among the law appropriations, effective July 1, 2023, are: $39.6 million for the Office of Cannabis Management; $23.6 million to the Department of Health for grants to local and tribal health departments, youth education, and education grants for pregnant or breastfeeding individuals; $15 million to the Office of Traffic Safety in the Department of Public Safety for drug recognition evaluator training; $12 million to the Department of Employment and Economic Development for the CanStartup, CanNavigate, and CanTrain programs; $11.2 million for the Cannabis Expungement Board; $5 million to the University of Minnesota to establish a Center for Cannabis Research within the School of Public Health; and $2.6 million to the Office of Traffic Safety for a roadside testing pilot project.
More parts of the law, such as possession or publicly transported amounts and expunging petty misdemeanor and misdemeanor cannabis convictions take effect Aug. 1.
Commerce finance, policy law funds department, expands consumer protections
The commerce finance and policy law has $68.4 million in new spending in the 2024-25 biennium, including $62.6 million from the General Fund. That’s a $10 million biennial increase.
Much of the funding will support expanded consumer protections. Those include measures requiring health plans to limit patient co-pays to no more than $25 per one-month supply of prescription drugs used to treat chronic diseases; enacting the “Digital Fair Repair Act” to prohibit manufacturers from having exclusive rights to repair their products; and prohibiting lenders from collecting on loans made under coercion by a third party, such as a domestic abuser.
Some 2024-25 biennium appropriations of the law include: $1.8 million for the unclaimed property program; $1.6 million for five additional peace officers in the Commerce Department’s Fraud Bureau; $800,000 for Prepare and Prosper, a financial services program assisting low-income and financially underserved populations to build savings and strengthen credit; and $498,000 for the senior safe fraud prevention program.
Sponsored by Rep. Zack Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids, and Sen. Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota Heights, here are some provisions that took effect July 1:
- to protect consumers and others from unaffordable costs of prescription drugs, the law appropriates $1.1 million to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board and a Prescription Drug Affordability Advisory Council;
- excessive price increases of generic or off-patent drugs sold, dispensed, or delivered to any consumer in the state will be prohibited. Such an increase is 15% or more of the wholesale cost over the immediately preceding calendar year, or 40% or more of the wholesale cost over the immediately preceding three calendar years;
- the “Strengthen Minnesota Homes Act” is established to provide grants to retrofit insurable property to resist loss due to common perils, including but not limited to tornadoes or other catastrophic windstorm events;
- a Mental Health Parity and Substance Abuse Accountability Office is established within the Department of Commerce to oversee compliance reviews, review consumer and provider complaints, and serve as a resource for ensuring health plan compliance with mental health and substance abuse requirements. It will be funded with $100,000 in fiscal year 2025; and
- funded with a $394,000 biennial appropriation, a student loan advocate is designated within the department to provide timely assistance to borrowers, plus receive, review, and attempt to resolve borrower complaints. The advocate must also establish and maintain a borrower education course.
EDUCATION
Education finance law appropriates 10% funding increase for public schools
Public education funding will total $23.2 billion during the 2024-25 biennium, an increase of $2.26 billion, or 10.8%, over base. The education finance law also makes dozens of policy adjustments.
Rep. Cheryl Youakim, DFL-Hopkins, and Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, sponsored the law, some of which took effect July 1.
The basic funding formula — the main mechanism through which the state funds local school districts — will increase 4% in fiscal year 2024 and 2% in fiscal year 2025. This translates to a formula allowance of $7,138 and $7,281 per pupil, respectively. Beginning fiscal year 2026, the formula will be indexed to inflation, though the law will limit this annual increase to between 2% and 3%.
The state will cover 44% of the special education cross-subsidy — up from 6.43% — in fiscal years 2024-26, with this rising to 50% beginning in fiscal years 2027.
Appropriations in fiscal years 2024-25 include:
- $705 million for the basic funding formula increase;
- $663 million in increased funding for reducing the special education cross-subsidy;
- $87 million in additional funding for English learning;
- $75 million to implement the READ Act, which will overhaul literacy education in an attempt to halt the declining literacy rates seen in recent years;
- $74.4 million for student support personnel aid and workforce development, to attend to students’ mental, behavioral, and physical health needs;
- $50 million for Grow Your Own teacher grants, designed to increase the size and diversity of the teaching workforce;
- $3.5 million to provide menstrual products and opiate antagonists at no costs to students;
- $2 million for the construction of gender-neutral bathrooms; and
- $416,000 to cultivate heritage language and culture teachers.
Hourly school workers, such as bus drivers and cafeteria staff, will be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits during summer breaks.
Pre-Kindergarten education will be permanently expanded; 4,000 seats due to sunset will be preserved and an additional 5,200 seats will be established in fiscal year 2026, bringing the statewide total to 12,360 seats.
Within the Department of Education, an Office of the Inspector General will be established to detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in departmental programs. The bureaucracy will see additional growth with the creation of an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Center; a comprehensive school mental health services lead; a school health services specialist; and an ethnic studies specialist.
Under collective bargaining agreements effective July 1 and thereafter, the probationary period of new K-12 teachers will be shortened under various circumstances. Also effective from that date, 80% of compensatory revenue must be utilized at the generating school site (up from 50%) and the list of allowable uses will be reconfigured.
Universal no-cost school meals instituted for K-12 students
Effective for meals provided on or after July 1, K-12 students will be guaranteed free breakfast and lunch every school day.
The cost of these meals will be covered by a combination of state and federal funds. Nearly $450 million in state aid is appropriated for the 2024-25 biennium. The appropriation portion of the law took effect March 18.
Historically, schools have provided free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch to many students coming from families that were income qualified for certain government programs. The new law will replace this means-tested system.
ELECTIONS
Helping local governments part of $10 million increase in spending on elections
General Fund spending of almost $24.6 million in fiscal years 2023-25 is called for in elections spending, a $10 million increase. That includes $2.5 million to assist local governments with election infrastructure and staffing.
The spending is part of a larger package sponsored by Rep. Ginny Klevorn, DFL-Plymouth, and Sen. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul.
Policy changes include:
- state law would show Minnesota’s ratification of the Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote, an interstate compact that’d guarantee the presidency to the candidate receiving the most popular votes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia;
- a voting operations, technology and election resources account will be established to help local units of government with election expenditures;
- all postsecondary institutions accepting state or federal financial aid must maintain a webpage to help students determine where and how they are eligible to vote, among other requirements;
- the Office of the Secretary of State is required to study issues related to voter engagement, education, and improvements to the election system, which may include ranked-choice voting;
- a principal campaign committee, political committee, political fund, or party unit may accept a monetary contribution via a mobile payment or virtual currency; and
- lobbyist registration requirements are expanded to include all political subdivisions.
EMPLOYMENT
Law seeks to lower number of PTSD retirements among first responders
A new law will require up to 32 weeks of mental health treatment before a peace officer or firefighter with a psychological condition such as PTSD, or other serious mental health issue, can apply for duty disability benefits from the Minnesota State Retirement System or the Public Employees Retirement Association.Public safety agencies will be required to continue paying the employee’s full salary and employer-provided benefits during the treatment period.
These provisions of the law took effect July 1.
After 24 weeks of mental health treatment, an applicant for duty disability benefits can receive eight more weeks of treatment if not ready to return to work but making progress toward recovery. Other determinations at 24 weeks include whether the applicant should: return to full-time employment in their previous position; return to another vacant full-time position with their prior employer provided the position has equal or better pension and disability benefits; or receive duty disability benefits because a mental health professional determines the applicant is permanently disabled.
The Peace Officer Standards and Training Board must create learning objectives to prepare peace officers for the stressful and traumatic events that are common to policing and teach officers methods to process and cope with the stress and trauma inherent to policing.
By July 1, 2024, every peace officer employed by law enforcement agencies must undergo the wellness training programs developed by the POST Board.
Two one-time transfers from the General Fund in fiscal year 2024 will be made to a psychological condition treatment account: $3 million to PERA and $1 million for MSRS. Both will be used to fund mental health treatment required before a peace officer or firefighter can apply for duty disability benefits.
The public safety officer’s benefit account will receive a onetime $100 million transfer from the General Fund in fiscal year 2024 to pay for continued health care insurance coverage to any peace officer or firefighter who PERA or MSRS determines is eligible to receive a duty disability benefit.
Jobs and economic development package totals almost $1.4 billion
State spending on jobs, economic development, labor, and industry will total $1.37 billion during the 2024-25 biennium. The law authorizing these appropriations will also make scores of accompanying policy changes, mainly in the realm of employer-employee relations.
A Minnesota Forward Fund will be created with $500 million to facilitate private investment and jumpstarting Minnesota’s economic competitiveness: $250 million to match federal funds for microelectronic manufacturing; $100 million to match federal funds for bioindustrial manufacturing; $75 million for the state competitiveness fund; $50 million for businesses to match federal funds for nonspecific federal programs; and $25 million for the Climate Innovation Finance Authority.
The Department of Employment and Economic Development will receive $693 million to help continue the state’s post-COVID-19 recovery, address the workforce shortage, and reduce economic disparities. Of this, $125.3 million will go toward carrying out the PROMISE Act by empowering the department to make grants and loans to businesses and partner organizations “in communities that have been adversely affected by structural racial discrimination, civil unrest, lack of access to capital, loss of population or an aging population, or lack of regional economic diversification.”
Over 80% of these dollars will be directed toward the Twin Cities metropolitan area, mainly to help recover from the 2020 civil unrest. And $5 million will be distributed to northern Minnesota counties economically harmed by the closure of the Canadian border during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Five new programs will be established to support small businesses and entrepreneurs: $12.9 million for the Small Business Assistance Partnerships Program; $10 million for the Minnesota Expanding Opportunity Fund Program; $5 million for Launch Minnesota, to spur innovation and grow technology startups; $5 million for an emerging developer fund program; and $3 million for a community wealth- building grant program.
Workforce development spending will include: $50 million in targeted population workforce grants for organizations providing job skills training and businesses that hire and retain people of color; $20 million for the Drive for Five Initiative; $14.3 million in additional funding for the Pathways to Prosperity competitive grant program; $2 million to establish the Getting to Work grant program; and $1.5 million to establish an Office of New Americans to help immigrants economically integrate into Minnesota.
Explore Minnesota Tourism will have its mission refined to include promoting overall livability and workforce and economic opportunity and see its budget more than doubled to $62.3 million.
Governmental authorities overseeing employer-employee relations will receive the remaining $108.6 million, with much of the funding going to the Department of Labor and Industry to bolster workplace safety efforts and implement major regulatory changes.
ENERGY
Transition to renewable energy the target of climate and energy provisions
While much of the environment, natural resources, climate and energy finance and policy law deals with environmental law and appropriations, it also funds several grant programs to aid the transition to renewable energy sources and upgrade energy efficiency.
The law’s provisions related to climate and energy establish a biennial budget for the Department of Commerce and the Public Utilities Commission, and govern activities related to clean and renewable energy, with a focus upon reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector. It establishes and modifies provisions governing energy storage, use and conservation, utility regulation, and Public Utilities Commission proceedings.
All finance provisions took effect July 1.
The law’s climate and energy-related appropriations include $125.9 million for the Department of Commerce with almost all dedicated to the division of energy resources. That includes $38.7 million for weatherization and pre-weatherization work; $16.1 million for the Solar for Schools program; $15 million to increase the capacity and improve the reliability of a transmission line between North Dakota and Minnesota; $11.9 million for operating expenses; $6 million for electric school bus grants; $6 million for a heat pump rebate program.
The Renewable Development Account is a state-administered fund designed to support renewable energy projects. Xcel Energy pays into the account to store nuclear waste at its Prairie Island and Monticello nuclear power plants. Account funds are typically spent only on projects located within Xcel Energy’s electric service territory.
For the 2024-25 biennium, $72.7 million from the fund will go to the Department of Commerce for a dozen renewable energy projects, including: $14.3 million for the Solar for Schools program; $10.7 million for an electric vehicle rebate program; $10.2 million for distributed energy resource system upgrades; $7.5 million for grants to the University of St. Thomas Center for Microgrid Research; and $7 million for electric school bus grants.
And the following state agencies will receive funding from the Renewable Development Account:
- $4.2 million to the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission to install solar arrays on an ice rink and maintenance facility at the National Sports Center;
- $3 million to the Pollution Control Agency for the local climate action grant program; and
- $872,000 to the Department of Administration for a grant to the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment to research how projections of future weather trends may exacerbate conditions; and for costs related to the state building energy conservation improvement revolving loan program.
ENVIRONMENT
More than $818 million in legacy dollars to improve to natural and cultural resources
A new law appropriates money to “protect, enhance, and restore” everything from wildlife habitats to water sources while also devoting funds to preserving arts and cultural heritage and supporting parks and trails.
With revenue raised from the 0.375% sales tax increase ratified by voters in 2008, the law spends $818.75 million from four funds established by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment: $318.4 million from the Clean Water Fund, $191.95 million from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, $171.79 million from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, and $136.61 million from the Parks and Trails Fund.
For various water testing, assessments, and restoration projects — among other things — the Clean Water Fund will distribute $318.4 million, including $156.13 million for the Board of Water and Soil Resources; $48.38 million for the Pollution Control Agency; $41.68 million to the Department of Agriculture; and $25.56 million for the Department of Natural Resources.
Moreover, the law will set a goal for all waters to have achieved their designated uses — to be swimmable, fishable and drinkable — by 2050.
As the largest recipient of Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund dollars, the State Arts Board will divide most of its $92.22 million appropriation between arts and art access initiatives, arts education grants, arts and cultural heritage activities and a public art project in St. Paul.
Other major spending includes: $36.98 million for the Minnesota Historical Society to offer statewide historic and cultural grants, fund statewide history programs, support history partnerships’ preservation efforts, conduct a survey of historical and archaeological sites and create a digital library project; $31.15 million for the Department of Administration, which provides funding to Minnesota Public Radio, the Minnesota Public Television Association, Como Park Zoo, Hmong Plaza, Minnesota Council on Disability, and the Veterans Memorial Park in Wyoming, among others; $16.46 million for the Minnesota Humanities Center, including grants for children’s museums, capacity building and civics education; $5.75 million for the Department of Education for library grants and a water safety grant program; and $4.6 million for the Indian Affairs Council to preserve Dakota and Ojibwe languages.
From the Outdoor Heritage Fund: $97.35 million for habitats; $33.47 million for wetlands; $31.92 million for prairies; $6.57 million for forests; and $2.49 million for administration.
Most Parks and Trails Fund money will be allocated for three different purposes.
The DNR will receive $54.1 million for state parks, state recreation areas and state trails to connect people with the outdoors, acquire land, maintain existing facilities, and improve coordination with partners; approximately $27.05 million will be used for grants for parks and trails of regional significance outside the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area; and the Metropolitan Council will receive approximately $54.1 million for approved projects to support parks and trails within the metropolitan regional parks and trails system.
Environment and natural resources budget sees big boost
Sponsored by Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, and Sen. Foung Hawj, DFL-St. Paul, the environment and natural resources finance and policy law provides millions of dollars in onetime spending to address lingering issues and match federal investments.
General Fund spending in the environmental portion of the law totals $994.2 million for the 2024-25 biennium, an increase of $670 million. Those appropriations include $499.7 million to the DNR; $279.6 million to the Pollution Control Agency; $120.1 million to the Board of Water and Soil Resources; $27.5 million to the Minnesota Zoo; $25.8 million to the Metropolitan Council; and $9.5 million to the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Among DNR appropriations is a onetime $110 million appropriation for the Get Out MORE (modernizing outdoor recreation experiences) initiative which aims to update and enhance access to boating and public land, improve fish hatcheries, restore streams, and improve camping infrastructure.
Triannual fees to register a boat will increase by 56% to 151% depending on the size and type of craft. New fees will include $209 for boats longer than 40 feet; $85 for all personal watercraft; $59 for boats between 17 feet and 19 feet; and $23 for sailboats smaller than 19 feet and kayaks, sailboards, paddleboats, or rowing shells longer than 10 feet.
“Amara’s Law” will require information on products containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances to be submitted to the Pollution Control Agency, starting in 2026. It will prohibit the sale of carpets, cleaning products, cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, fabric treatments, children’s products, menstrual products, textile furnishings (including upholstered furniture) and ski wax with intentionally added PFAS starting Jan. 1, 2025. By Jan. 1, 2032, no product with intentionally added PFAS may be sold unless the use is determined to be unavoidable.
The law includes scores of policy provisions addressing longstanding and emerging issues faced by the DNR, Pollution Control Agency and Board of Water and Soil Resources, including having the Pollution Control Agency address odor complaints in the metropolitan area; barring new permits for farming white-tail deer; and allowing farmers to scare, chase or harass deer and elk outside of hunting season if the animals are damaging crops.
