City hears legislative update; lake water‑supply exemption faces legal and drafting hurdles

Margaret Bessel, managing director at Len Hoffman Public Affairs, told the Lake Elmo City Council that the 2025 legislative session produced a rare tied legislature and that lawmakers nevertheless passed a bonding (capital investment) bill the city had sought. “They were able to pass a bonding bill, a capital investment bill,” Bessel said, calling passage the session’s top accomplishment for local priorities.

Bessel also updated the council on a Lake Elmo bill to secure a water‑supply exemption. The proposal received a House hearing and was placed before relevant committees, but she said it encountered resistance tied to how the statutory language interacts with an existing court order in the White Bear Lake litigation. “The legislative language says ‘may’ instead of ‘shall,’” she said, noting that the one‑word difference undercut the statute’s intended effect in practice.

Bessel recommended the city sit down with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources staff to clarify what was insufficient about prior language and explore alternate approaches. She said Representative Fischer and Representative Johnson have signaled willingness to meet and that the city’s legislators will be active in high‑profile campaigns this fall, which the city should factor into its 2027 advocacy plans.

Council members pressed for a near‑term strategy. Several members said the city should budget for lobbying for the 2027 session to maintain engagement with lawmakers and agency staff. The council asked staff to prepare a proposal and cost estimate for including lobbying in next year’s budget, and Bessel said she would work with city staff on the proposal.

What's next: staff will draft a proposed lobbying budget for council consideration and seek meetings with the DNR to clarify statutory language tied to the White Bear Lake court order.