House Hotlist for the week of March 8, 2010

Hotlist

Download House Hotlist for the week of March 8, 2010

H.F. 2624 LCCMR appropriation
Author: Rep. Wagenius
Date: TBD
Action: Floor Vote
Appropriates $25 million in projects funded by receipts from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.
Position: Follow author’s lead; oppose amendments to reallocate the package.

H.F. 2801 – Complete Streets Bill to Make Roads Safer (Obermueller)
Finance Committee; Monday, March 8; 10:30am
Chair: Rep. Carlson
Action: Committee Vote
The Complete Streets bill helps make roads safer for all Minnesotans regardless of how they get around. State standards too often dictate that Minnesota roads move cars as quickly as possible while ignoring the abilities of seniors, children, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders. Unsafe roads lead to more injuries and deaths, transportation barriers, and disincentives for walking and biking. Complete Streets simplifies and removes barriers for road design to allow local cities and towns flexibility to create safer roads for all their users. It will also support more walking and bicycling, healthy and clean transportation choices that help protect Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, streams, and air quality.
Position: Support bill, follow author's lead on amendments

H.F. 1217 - Minnesota Safe Drug Disposal Act of 2010 (Gardner)
Civil Justice Committee; Monday, March 8, 4:30pm
Chair: Rep. Mullery
Action: Committee Vote
There is currently a lack of mechanisms to limit the contamination of surface and groundwater resources from the improper disposal of expired and unused pharmaceuticals by health care facilities. This bill prohibits the flushing of pharmaceuticals from health care facilities that is currently required in Minnesota Rules.
Position: Support bill, follow author's lead on amendments

H.F. 2837 - Green Chemistry (Knuth)
Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division Committee; Tuesday, March 9, 1:00pm
Chair: Rep. Rukavina
Action: Committee Vote
Green Chemistry is an approach to the design, manufacture and use of chemical products to intentionally reduce or eliminate chemical hazards. One path to reduce toxins in our environment includes providing positive incentives for businesses to adopt green chemistry as a framework for designing safer products. This bill broadens the definition of “green economy” in 116J to include green chemistry which will allow green chemistry companies to access current economic incentive programs, including the Minnesota Investment Fund.
Position: Support bill, follow author's lead on amendment

H.F. 3355 - Water drainage from watercraft required and civil penalties modified (Bigham)
Environmental Policy and Oversight, Tuesday March 9 at 4:30pm
Chair: Rep. Eken
Action: Committee Vote
This bill will help to limit the spread or transport of invasive or unwanted species in our waterways by requiring boaters to drain all water and “pull the plug” before transporting watercraft and associated equipment on public roads and providing for increased penalties.
Position: Support bill, follow author's lead on amendments

H.F. 2659 - Discharge permit requirements for feedlots modified (Juhnke)
Environmental Policy and Oversight, Thursday, March 11 at 4:30 pm
Chair: Rep. Eken
Action: Committee Vote
State law requires feedlots over 1,000 animal units (the largest 4% of feedlots) to apply for a National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) permit, ensuring that large feedlots are built and operated to meaningful environmental standards. This bill would amend the law so that feedlots over 1,000 animal units that claim they do not intend to discharge would not require a NPDES permit, forcing an expensive rulemaking process and creating confusion about what permits (if any) are necessary.
Position: Oppose Bill

H.F. 3367 - Solid waste disposal facility requirements modified (Bunn)
Environmental Policy and Oversight, Thursday, March 11 at 4:30 pm
Chair: Rep. Eken
Action: Committee Vote
The safety of Minnesota's groundwater is essential to the health of our families and we have a responsibility to protect it from contamination. Currently, the state's landfill siting rules don't have to take into account "time of travel," or, how long it would take toxic chemicals to leak from a landfill to nearby groundwater. This bill strengthens the rules, ensuring that the state has adequate time to respond to leaks before water is polluted.
Position: Support bill, follow author’s lead on amendments

Keep up the pressure on our elected officials to protect our Great Outdoors!

Thank you for your continued support to protect Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, streams, prairies, forests, and our Great Outdoors. Your calls, letters, and emails to your legislators and the Governor helped us claim some victories this year!

Though the 2010 Minnesota legislative session produced mixed results for Minnesota’s clean energy and Great Outdoors future, our work does not stop here.

We need your help to pass strong environmental policies next year! We need to hold our elected officials accountable and make certain these issues are highlighted in the November Election.