As the Minnesota legislature adjourned last week, I was left with mixed feelings of disappointment and hope for Minnesota pesticide legislation.<\/p>
Going into this legislative session PAN and our allies knew that we would be playing a tough game of defense. What we didn\u2019t expect? While legislators had a field day attacking clean water, air, and pipeline protections, we witnessed some key tone shifts for pollinators. We also recognized some old tactics from the industry playbook \u2014 and boldly called them out.<\/p>
After a session of legislative back-and-forth, several decisionmakers played their cards in the eleventh hour to market last-minute bills to a legislature hungry for compromise.<\/p>
One example of this was a bill introduced that would remove the sulfide standard needed to grow wild rice in many parts of Northern Minnesota. Under widespread opposition \u2014 especially from Native communities that rely on wild rice as a cultural and economic staple \u2014 Governor Dayton vetoed the bill. However, it returned under the guise of compromise.<\/p>
The \u201ccompromise?\u201d Lawmakers proposed establishing a committee of scientists, tribal members and industry representatives to determine whether \u201ccost-effective treatment technology\u201d can be found. This is a stalling tactic, not a compromise, and the bill would add an unnecessary level of bureaucracy that only shields industry from regulation.<\/p>
Pollinator allies know that Governor Dayton convened a similar committee in 2016 to advise his administration on pollinator protection. Though the committee will likely release helpful recommendations soon, this process has been far from efficient. But we need fast, unhindered action.<\/p>
Earlier in the session, long-time pollinator champion Representative Rick Hansen introduced an amendment that would restrict the use of neonicotinoids in wildlife management areas. While the amendment didn\u2019t accrue enough votes to make the bill, it was a near-even split, with 60 votes for the amendment and only 65 votes against it. Both Republicans and Democrats from greater Minnesota supported the bill. While we haven\u2019t broken through Minnesota\u2019s gridlock, pollinator issues are gaining traction<\/a>.<\/p> This shift bodes well for Minnesotans, pollinators, and the concept of representative democracy. It seems legislators are catching onto something we\u2019ve known for a long time:\u00a0A 2017 poll<\/a> found that 87% of Minnesotans voters were worried about pollinator declines. On this issue and others, we\u2019ve seen Minnesotans united across party and regional lines. We\u2019re not buying the politics of division.<\/p> Minnesota is a national leader when it comes to grassroots pollinator advocacy, with more pollinator-friendly municipalities than any other state in the U.S. It only makes sense that elected officials should represent the values of their districts. We\u2019re excited to keep this representation going by lifting pollinator protection into the spotlight during upcoming House elections. Let\u2019s build this thing!<\/p> As Governor Dayton reaches the end of his second term in office, PAN and partners are grateful that he has worked alongside us to make Minnesota a national leader in pollinator protection<\/a>. However, pollinators are still declining. Vetoing bills in the next few weeks is important \u2014 but it isn\u2019t the end of the Governor\u2019s responsibility.<\/p>Governor Dayton and his legacy<\/h3>