Committee advances Senate File 1943, legacy lands package

The Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee moved Senate File 1943 — a legacy lands and conservation package — to the General Register after brief discussion and a voice vote.

Committee staff described the bill as common language with House provisions and noted that dollar figures were unchanged from prior hearings. Article 1 was described as an allocation from the Outdoor Heritage Fund totaling about $191 million for projects to restore, enhance and protect habitat for fish and wildlife. Other changes in the DE included procedural clarifications for board appointments and director-hiring processes, term limits for citizen members in certain councils, and technical amendments across parks, trails and art-installation grants.

Committee members thanked advocates and council staff for their work in negotiating the bill. The DE was adopted and the bill advanced to the General Register.