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Tribes, environmental groups and lawmakers urge inclusion of Wild Rice Act in environment omnibus
Summary
Multiple speakers, including tribal members and advocates, urged the Senate committee to include language from Senate File 1247, commonly called the Wild Rice Act, in the environment omnibus. Witnesses emphasized cultural, treaty and ecological reasons for statutory protections urging legislators to add the language as an amendment.
A coalition of tribal representatives, environmental advocates and faith‑based organizers urged the Minnesota Senate Environment Committee on April 8 to include the Wild Rice Act (Senate File 12‑47) in the omnibus environment and natural resources bill.
"This bill recognizes that wild rice has the right to live because it is in fact alive," said Jessica Intermill, strategic policy consultant at Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, during public testimony. Intermill told the committee the measure is not a legal personhood bill and that it focuses on recognizing the inherent, naturally occurring right of wild rice to exist and thrive.
Multiple tribal speakers and advocates described wild…
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