On Tuesday, the Minnesota Senate passed SF 971, the 2021 omnibus Legacy Finance bill, by a unanimous vote. In 2008, Minnesota voters took a bold step to preserve Minnesota’s legacy by investing in four key areas: clean water, outdoor heritage, arts and culture, and parks and trails. The Legacy Amendment generates funding to support projects in these four areas.
This year’s Legacy omnibus bill represents a strong bipartisan approach to deciding where these dollars are spent. It maintains the 40:40:20 spending ratio for the distribution of Parks and Trails funding, which allocates 40 percent to the Department of Natural Resources for state parks and trails, 40 percent to the Metropolitan Council for metro parks and trails, and 20 percent to Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails. The bill also appropriates 47 percent of the Arts and Cultural Heritage funding to the Minnesota State Arts Board for grants and programs.
After voting yes on the bill, Senator Foung Hawj (DFL- St. Paul), the DFL leader on the Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee, released the following statement:
“The Legacy Fund is a unique and valuable portion of Minnesota’s budget. I am proud that Minnesotans decided in 2008 to recognize the importance of clean water, parks and trails, our arts and culture, and Minnesota’s wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitats. There is still much work to be done to create a clean future for Minnesota, but the Legacy fund provides a stable baseline for our investment in our environment and history,” said Senator Hawj. “I am proud to support SF 971 because it includes investments over the next two years in a large number of projects aimed at supporting our shared environment and celebrating the rich cultural history and diversity of our state. I also appreciate the work contributed by my colleagues on creating this bill, including DFL Senators Jen McEwen and Steve Cwodzinski.”
Learn more about Sen. Hawj.
Read more news from Sen. Hawj.
