While the inter-party bickering over taxes, bonding and a stadium at the Capitol gives the impression of runaway chaos, there has been agreement on dozens of bills, including a Legacy Act bill, calls for $100 million in spending for outdoors projects.
Gov. Mark Dayton signed SF 2493 on Tuesday. It had been passed by the House, 75-56; and the Senate, 61-4.
The bill appropriates $100 million from the Legacy Act sales tax revenue for outdoors projects, with $24.6 million for prairies, $15.3 million to forests, $31.1 million to wetlands, $28.6 million for habitat, and $220,000 for administration. More than $30 million will be used for land purchases.
Some highlights:
- $11 million for the Mississippi Northwoods Habitat Complex near Brainerd,
- $8.5 million for barriers to block invasive fish
- $4 million for an aquatic invasive species research center at the University of Minnesota.