MN’s constitutional amendment will decide the fate of environmental funding

The only constitutional amendment up for a vote Tuesday asks Minnesotans whether they should renew special lottery funding for nature through the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

If more than 50% of voters answer “yes” to the ballot question, they will advance the special pipeline to a fund that spends tens of millions of dollars annually on clean water, wildlife habitat, environmental education, trails, land acquisition, etc. Other projects that have a positive impact on natural resources.

If the vote passes, Minnesota will use a portion of state lottery proceeds for outdoor purposes for the third time since 1990. During that time, the system has allocated more than $1 billion to projects recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The annual recommendations must be approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor for the money to be released. In the current fiscal year, the trust fund generated $76.6 million to finance 101 projects. Next year, withdrawals from the fund will exceed $100 million for the first time.

Previous statewide votes in 1990 and 1998 overwhelmingly supported the constitutional provision of lottery funds for wild places conservation and restoration. To keep this going, a broad coalition of nature-loving groups has pushed for another victory. The group, known as Minnesotans for Our Great Outdoors, reminded voters that leaving the question blank counts as a “no.”

If the overall result is “yes,” the vote would guarantee the Minnesota State Lottery’s cash flow through 2050. If the measure fails, the transfer of lottery money to the trust fund would continue unless lawmakers change it.

The system for distributing annual proceeds would not change if the amendment is passed. This process, starting with the projects selected by LCCMR, is regulated by legislation. But this year's proposed constitutional amendment would increase the maximum allowable annual withdrawal from the trust fund from 5.5% to 7%. To address the additional 1.5%, lawmakers created a new community grant program for underserved organizations and communities. Under the supervision of the Department of Natural Resources, it would distribute money, in consultation with an advisory board, to projects consistent with the trust fund's constitutional purpose.

The Center of the American Experiment is urging a “no” vote, arguing that the Legislature will have no control over the community grant program and that constitutionally mandated funding is bad public policy.

Also new in this year's amendment is a regulation that is intended to prevent the use of lottery proceeds for wastewater infrastructure. Research projects to improve these facilities would still be eligible for funding.