DFLEC Resolutions Committee co-chair (and Caucus Vice Chair) Matt Doll took a run at our resolutions, to see where they stand in relation to this year’s legislative session. Here are Matt’s preliminary notes:

• Sustainable Ag – Success: Plenty of funding for Forever Green and similar projects in the Ag bill, plus some soil health support in the Environment bill.
• Green New Deal – Partial Success: The Climate and Environment (Climera) bill is the largest clean energy investment in Minnesota’s history and has lots of focus on low-income communities. It’s not going to be enough, but it’s a really strong start.
• Zero Carbon Economy – Success: We mandated 100% clean electricity by 2040. Our resolution says 2030, but it’s still a step forward, and it’s notable that the goal of net-zero economy wide emissions by 2050 is also in state law. The Climera and Transportation bills are huge for reducing emissions as well.
• Clean Water Infrastructure – Success: The massive bipartisan bonding bill will include $500 million for water infrastructure.
• Prove it First – No change: No bill hearing this session.
• Reduce Pesticides – Partial Success: Some new pesticide protections, including provisions for treated seed, first class city control over pesticide regulations, and a ban on pollinator-lethal pesticides on DNR-controlled lands became law. PFAS in pesticides will also be regulated next decade. But not much was done overall to reduce agricultural pesticides.
• Get the Lead Out – Major Success: A bill to replace every lead service line in public water systems in Minnesota by 2023 passed into law, which will help reduce lead exposure for more than 100,000 households. Unfortunately, only voluntary measures to reduce lead ammo and tackle were passed.
• Oppose Rollbacks – Success: No rollbacks of note occurred this session.
• Clean Transportation – Success: Transit, passenger rail, EVs, active transportation, and climate-friendly transportation planning were all well-supported by the omnibus bill.
• No new fossil fuel infrastructure – Partial Success: The transportation omnibus includes some of the first major steps forward to reduce expansion of highway lanes through its inclusion of climate in Met Council and MnDOT planning.
• Divestment – No major change
• Rights of nature – No change
• Electric co-ops – No change
• Mining conflict of interest – No change
• Waste reduction – Success: More than $26 million in the Climera bill for waste reduction.
• Toxic substances – Success: Strong new restrictions on PFAS and other substances like lead and arsenic passed into law.