State parks could stay open

06/29/2005

Dennis Anderson,
Star Tribune
June 30, 2005

It’s increasingly likely state parks will remain open this weekend even in the event of a partial state shutdown, thanks to a tentative agreement made today between Republican and DFL members of a legislative working group.

That same committee, however, apparently will not pass this session two key conservation initiatives sought by hunting, fishing and environmental groups.

Among them is reform of the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources, or LCMR, which allocates about $38 million biennially for conservation from lottery proceeds, and a plan to place on the 2006 ballot a constitutional amendment proposal that would dedicate a portion of the state sales tax to conservation.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, DFL-Willmar, on April 2 told about 5,000 people on the Capitol Mall he hoped the constitutional amendment idea would pass the Legislature this session.

At the same event, Pawlenty said he supported the amendment, as well as reform of the LCMR and funding to clean up the state’s polluted lakes and rivers. House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, said he, too, backed the amendment.

But the House-Senate working group charged with developing legislation potentially overhauling the LCMR - a 20-member legislative body that Pawlenty wanted to replace with a citizens commission - has been stalled, with DFL members and even some Republicans opposed to the governor’s plan.

Rep. Dennis Ozment, R-Rosemount, co-chair with Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, of the working group, said he believes a bill can emerge from his committee late today that will continue funding for the parks and affected agencies.

An agreement tentatively reached by Ozment and Bakk would assign a task force of legislators and citizens the job of proposing by February 2006 reform of the LCMR.

“If a reform plan isn’t agreed to and passed into law by June 2006, the LCMR would cease to exist in its authority over lottery funds,” Ozment said.

Ozment added he tried to hit a “home run” and include the constitutional amendment proposal in the bill, but that DFLers said they wanted to include funding for the arts and parks as well.

That killed the idea, Ozment said.

If the working group delivers a bill to Pawlenty Thursday, the governor can sign it, keeping state parks open, even if a larger budget deal isn’t reached between him and DFL leaders.

Because the LCMR reform he wanted apparently won’t be forthcoming, the governor could also line-item-veto projects approved by the LCMR, essentially refusing to validate the panel’s work.

“After putting 5,000 people on the Capitol mall for conservation causes, we’re extremely disappointed the governor and the Legislature apparently have failed to act,” said Lance Ness, president of the Fish and Wildlife Legislative Alliance and an organizer of the Capitol rally. “But we’ll be back.”

Said Matt Norton of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy in St. Paul: “We have just cause to be furious. We’ve been strung along. We’ve been soft-soaped. We’ve received nothing in terms of substance in terms of a commitment to not cut the state’s natural resources budget.”

“I wish I lived in a state where more people cared more for what we have. People take what we have in Minnesota for granted.”