Policy & Organizing 2022 Minnesota Legislative Session
LSP to Prioritize Soil & Communities Note: The 2022 session of the Minnesota Legislature will convene Jan. 31 in Saint Paul. Land Stewardship Project policy manager Amanda Koehler recently talked to the Land Stewardship Letter about what issues our members will be focusing on during the session.
Often the argument is that there isn’t enough money to go around to fund various public initiatives. u Koehler: We know that there is enough to go around for all Minnesotans and the land to truly thrive. Right now, big corporations and the richest don’t pay their fair share. They often skew the laws in their favor and dominate the state budget. That’s why LSP has worked with numerous allies to equitably raise revenue in Minnesota, increase the percentage of our state budget’s investment in regenerative agriculture and climate change, and confront and expose big corporate interests. During the upcoming legislative session, our biggest opportunity for funding is the multi-billion dollar bonding bill, which we will be leveraging. There are few opportunities to secure funding from the supplemental budget, but we will explore what’s available. It is possible that legislators will also push a supplemental Clean Water Fund bill, which is how LSP has secured funding for numerous sustainable agriculture programs
addressed. The Legislature is still negotiatu LSL: Describe how the 2022 session ing how to spend funds appropriated for will be different from the 2021 session and pandemic frontline workers and how the how that will change LSP’s approach. state can provide drought relief for farmu Koehler: The Minnesota Legislature ers, something LSP has worked to shape has a biennial calendar. In odd-numbered and support (see page 8). Unfortunately, years, like 2021, the Legislature must write instead of delivering for frontline workers a two-year budget for the state. In evenand farmers, the Senate majority has focused numbered years, such as the upcoming 2022 its attention on firing members of Governor legislative session, lawmakers will be focused on a supplemental budget (adjusting the budget from 2021 based on actual revenue and spending), passing policy proposals that generally have no price tag, and putting together a bonding bill. A bonding bill is how the Legislature decides to spend income from the sale of state bonds, which are primarily used for capital projects. With all that in mind, LSP will be focusing on passing our statewide soil-healthy farming goals, leveraging the bonding bill to invest in the infrastructure needed to support small and mid-sized farms, exploring supplemental budget opportunities, and protecting people and the land from harmful corporate-backed proposals. More priorities may emerge between now and the beginning of the legislative session, based on the direction of our member-led steering committees. We are also going into an election year where all state Representatives, In September, members of LSP and Clean River Partners gathered on the Mike Peterson farm Senators, the Governor, and others near Northfield, Minn., to discuss state and federal policy priorities. (LSP Photo) are up for re-election. With a split Legislature — one party controls Tim Walz’s cabinet, which they can only do the House and another controls the Senover the years. It’s also important to know during a regular or special session. Thereate – majorities and minorities double down that the Legacy Amendment, which estabfore, in valuing a stable state government, on delivering their priorities and stopping lished the Clean Water Fund, amongst other as of this writing the Governor has not yet proposals they oppose. environmental and arts funds, needs to be called a special session. It is likely these is renewed on the 2022 ballot. sues will remain unaddressed until the 2022 u LSL: Is there some leftover business regular legislative session. from the last session that can be dealt with during this session? State Legislature, see page 7… u LSL: What are you hearing in the air u Koehler: There is some business as far as what funding will be available? from the 2021 session that has yet to be
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No. 2, 2021
The Land Stewardship Letter
