Millions of dollars for environmental efforts around the state remains in limbo.
Millions of dollars for environmental efforts around Minnesota, from fighting off invasive carp to operating state parks, remain in limbo despite a broad state budget agreement because of the ongoing impasse over new vehicle emissions rules.
Senate Republicans have blocked the omnibus environment bill, determined to stop Minnesota from following California’s lead in tightening tailpipe emissions standards and requiring automakers to send more electric vehicles to the state for sale.
That package of environmental legislation sets the budgets for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the state Board of Water and Soil Resources, as well as other institutions already bleeding heavily from COVID-19 revenue losses, such as the Minnesota Zoo and the Science Museum of Minnesota. Continue reading.