Wow, where to start? This year's legislative session has been ALL CHALLANGE, with tons of frustrations.
We were delighted that early in the session the House and the Senate finally agreed to place the Outdoor Heritage/Designated Funding proposal on the November ballot. Elation was short lived as we got to read the final "version" of the bill. Last year, all versions, had a "Citizen Council" in place to help direct just how the funds were to be distributed. That Council was to be made up of citizens stakeholders whose expertise, passion, and previous volunteers and raising conservation dollars, would lay out the ground work for the 25 years the Heritage Bill would be funded. (In 25 years the Heritage Fund would be discontinued or reauthorized depending on the need.) We had high hopes that the Art's provision would have been dropped, but accepted their inclusion in the final days. With as many high profile Wildlife Artists that live in this state, I guess it is a bit fitting. But the House and Senate dropped the Citizen Council instead!
Yes ! ! ! The Citizens Council had been dropped in the final draft of the legislation. I guess the legislature didn't think, that "citizens of the State", were smart enough to decide how "voting our own tax increase" fund should operate. Or, maybe they are right; we're not that smart because we did vote them into office.
Again MOHA took to the battle field and worked with the Senate getting the provision through to form the Council, be it with six legislators sitting on the Council. The House has been stalling on their version for most of the session, thanks to one very out spoken David Dills. Tens of thousands of emails have been sent urging the House to re-instate that language so we can give the voters of Minnesota a green light to pass this ground saving legislation. It's for the future generations and the quality of life in Minnesota. It touches all Minnesotans. Whether rich or poor, even the middle class, would benefit "equally"! The outdoors doesn't care if you're black, white, yellow, or native, just wear orange during the deer season! ! !
Right now no green light, I sit on YELLOW!
The diversion of the Lottery funds, due to weak previous legislation, has allowed the legislature to siphon off better than two thirds of the proceeds. The Lottery's performance in the past has allowed just 21 cents on every "invested" dollar as a return of profits to the program. All non-claimed prizes are returned to the States General Fund, none to any wildlife programs or even the DNR. If we haven't been totally robbed, we have certainly been seriously gypped. Our General Fund gets nearly 14 cents of that 21 cent, as reported in a recent outdoor newspaper. This is the reason we have insisted on the creation of a Citizen Council all along. We, as sportsmen, thought we had our funding issue taken care of in 1988, with "Our Lottery" in place. Elated, we headed back into hibernation. Wake UP Minnesota !
The wildlife, waters, and forest have taken a real hit over the last 20 years. Sure we have seen great number increases in deer, bear, wolves, turkeys and local geese, but the other signs of REAL quality (not just numbers) have taken a terrific nose dive. Water the true gold of life, without it nothing survives, turn green earlier every year! The quality of our lakes and rivers, ground water drink ability, an overall loss of duck flights (especially bluebills), a falling size structure of game fish all continue at this alarming rate. Now mention local access problems, housing with development running wild, and our continued use of intensive farming practices. Ethanol, global development, rising human population all add to the conflicting issues with food prices. A lot of our BEST farm lands are now under housing developments. The pioneer population centers were located in and near the best food supplies. Fast forward to today, cities still sit in and on that fertile river valley plain with most of it under concrete and asphalt.
We need to strike a balance. Teddy Roosevelt saw it coming, with the National Park System, and unheard of conservation programs with hunting seasons. We saw the Buffalo herds lose to cattle herds, we have become wiser but are we wise enough. This effort is a wise effort, a conservation effort, a special effort that all young Minnesotans will thank us for in the future . . . . except politics have gotten in the way!
At newsletter press time, the Council issue has not been corrected (6 days left). IF appropriate "Council" language is reincorporated before our Vote in November, I recommend that all should vote for the Heritage Amendment. Regardless, the amendment will still appear on the ballot in its flawed state. In a ballot amendment like this a "Yes" vote is counted against a "No" vote and a "blank ballot check off" also counts as a "No" vote, so be sure to complete your ballot.
We believe that some members of the Legislature wish this issue to die at the voting booth. They are working toward that by gutting the language from the original proposals. Today, I and MOHA, can not fully support its passage. With 10 years of hard work, just to get it on the ballot, only to have politics strip away the most key ingredient, The Council ! ! It's like getting bread without yeast! It may lead to outdoors men with no outdoors and beaver without beaver ponds, just ditches and culverts to plug!
If this proposal get repaired, you will receive a letter from us at MOHA, that will give you a GREEN LIGHT to check the "Yes" box and ask for your help and involvement toward the passage of the measure. The Legislature doesn't seem to care how the Clean Water and the Art's handle their portion of this proposal. They added and inserted them on what used to be a "Clean Game and Fish Bill". They required little or no oversight on that portion, but want total control (without council language) on the fish and game portion of this Amendment.
Right now I have a "no go vote" that breaks my heart. Stay tuned as we are still at work for MN Outdoors.
Truly, I think the Legislature expects that we "stakeholders will accept" something rather than nothing after ten long years. I say, what we do is to "accept" their jobs by voting them all out of office! The lack of concern or investment over the last 20 years puts them all in the same replace column for me. Make sure you vote this fall. Contact your legislators and find out if they really represent you and your interesst, and read the fine print, it is politics.
Greg Flor
MOHA REP for the MTA