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House committee advances bill to restore and increase SWCD funding to $22 million
Summary
The Minnesota House Tax Committee advanced House File 1066, carried by Representative Reyer, to prevent a scheduled reduction in state aid to soil and water conservation districts and increase annual funding to $22 million; an author's amendment was adopted and the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill.
The Minnesota House Tax Committee advanced House File 1066, carried by Representative Reyer, which would prevent a scheduled cut in state aid to soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs) and increase annual funding to $22 million, committee members said at a hearing.
Representative Reyer, the bill author, told the committee the amendment adopted in committee removes a scheduled reduction in funding that otherwise would have lowered the annual appropriation from $15,000,000 to $12,000,000 and instead raises the annual appropriation to $22,000,000. "The $22,000,000 came from a bottom up assessment of the funding needed for all SWCDs to deliver on their mission of conservation implementation with private landowners," Reyer said.
The bill, as amended, was shaped by an author's amendment (referred to in committee as the 66A1 author's amendment) and the committee adopted that amendment by voice vote. "I will move the 66A1 author's amendment to get the bill in the shape that the author would like," Chair Davids said before the voice vote. The committee chair later moved that House File 1066 as amended be laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill.
Sheila Vane, assistant director of the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, told the committee the state aid has been a "game changer" for SWCD funding and that SWCDs use the funds to work with private landowners on a wide range of conservation work. "This is critical for us to accomplish our mission in working with private land owners on water quality and soil health efforts," Vane said, and she referenced a handout summarizing SWCD activities including lakeshore stabilization, cover crop expertise, nutrient-management guidance for livestock owners, lake water-quality monitoring, urban rain gardens and irrigation-management guidance for agricultural producers.
Representative Reyer framed SWCDs as long-standing local partners, saying they have "nearly 90 years" of history and are relied on by farmers and homeowners to preserve soil and water quality. Reyer noted that SWCD supervisors are elected and have statutory duties but do not have levy authority, and argued that stable state aid helps SWCDs maintain staff and address local problems before they escalate.
There was no roll-call vote recorded in the committee transcript for either the amendment adoption or the motion to lay the bill over; both actions were taken by voice and the transcript records the amendment as passing. Committee members did not record additional formal votes on the bill at this hearing.
The chair concluded committee action by laying the bill over for "possible inclusion of the omnibus tax bill," signaling that further action would depend on omnibus bill negotiations and the broader tax bill process.
The hearing included testimony from the bill author and the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts; no departmental testimony or additional witnesses were recorded in the portion of the transcript provided.
