State voters would weigh outdoor fund

03/11/2006

State voters would weigh outdoor fund

Pioneer Press
March 11, 2006

Minnesota voters would be asked to approve a small statewide sales-tax increase to pay for hunting, fishing and other recreational programs under a bill approved Friday by a Senate committee.

Supporters of the so-called Outdoor Heritage Amendment to the state constitution are hoping this is their year, after working to secure a dedicated funding source for nearly a decade.

The Senate bill would ask voters in November to increase the state sales tax by three-eighths of a percent.

But the House bill approaches the funding differently. While it would still require voter approval, it would not call for a sales-tax increase. Rather, it would redirect three-eighths of a percent from current sales tax collections for the recreation programs, and it also leaves out the arts funding.