Environment committee discusses finances, work to come

Where things stand financially and which issues loom on the horizon were on the agenda Tuesday as the House Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee began its work for the session.

Brad Hagemeier – the committee’s nonpartisan fiscal analyst – provided committee members with an overview of the funds they oversee and some preliminary fiscal numbers for them to use as a starting point.

Hagemeier told the committee it will have a base of $314 million from the General Fund to work with for the 2018-19 biennium, as projected in the November Budget and Economic Forecast. The General Fund is the largest of several funding sources the committee draws upon.

WATCH Full video of Tuesday's committee meeting

In his opening remarks, Rep. Dan Fabian (R-Roseau), committee chair, pledged to work with Democrats and have “serious discussions” on any bills they may offer for hearings.  

“I think there is an opportunity to work here in bipartisanship,” Fabian said. “Minnesota’s environment belongs to all of us.”

Fabian asked committee members to share issues they’ve been hearing about the most from their constituents. Invasive species – both aquatic and terrestrial — were mentioned by several members. Buffers for the state’s public ditches and waters was oft-mentioned as an issue people continue to be upset about.

Fabian said current buffer requirements are not manageable and he is trying to set up a joint meeting with one of the agriculture committees to explore the issue further.