Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership
Environmental advocates across Minnesota and the nation have spent the past week grappling with the results of a divisive and contentious election, marked by widespread national frustration and decreased voter turnout from 2020. With a flipped Presidency, close divisions in both chambers of Congress, and a newly divided Minnesota House of Representatives, our work for progress on climate and environmental issues will have to adapt. We will have to change the way we fight – and fight we will.
At the same time, we know that our positions on many environmental issues are broadly popular. Even with a closely-divided Presidential race, Minnesotans decisively voted in favor of renewing and enhancing the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund and its share of proceeds from the state lottery. 77% voted in support, including voters in almost all of our 87 counties. That overwhelming majority is roughly in line with what it’s been in previous ballot measures for the Trust Fund.
Minnesotans are divided on many issues, but an overwhelming majority of us care about clean water. In 2020, we passed a historically large investment in water infrastructure, including treatment facilities to reduce pollution. In 2023, the bill to replace all of the state’s lead drinking water service lines in public water systems passed with almost unanimous support in both the Minnesota House and Senate. On other issues, like developing regenerative agriculture, we’ve continued to make progress with bipartisan support.
In the coming months and years, we’ll continue to face big challenges on a range of fronts including sulfide mining, potential environmental rollbacks, and the use of public lands. On these issues, it will be critically important that Minnesotans of all political stripes speak up in defense of our communities and natural heritage.
On issues like climate and cleaning up our lands and waters, MEP and our members and allies will focus on the political common ground that unites us: the common ground beneath our feet. Minnesotans care about keeping our state healthy, about providing a clean future for our children, about finding areas of agreement on environmental issues and turning them into effective policy.
When these critical issues come before our elected officials, MEP and our partners will be there. This is the time for all Minnesotans to join together and use our shared voice to protect the place we call home.