Item Description:
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Endorse the constitutional amendment to reauthorize the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund
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WHEREAS:
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WHEREAS, Hennepin County residents value natural resources and ensuring a healthy environment for future generations; and
WHEREAS, over 30 years ago, 77% of Minnesotans voted in favor of using a portion of Minnesota State Lottery proceeds to build the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund; and
WHEREAS, since then, over $1 billion has been invested to help restore and protect our water, land, and wildlife, including $26.7 million awarded to 63 projects that benefit the county's natural resources since 2010; and
WHEREAS, in November 2024, Minnesota voters will have the opportunity to vote to continue this policy for another 25 years, keeping state lottery funds at work supporting clean lakes, healthy forests, and outdoor recreation; and
WHEREAS, without passage of the constitutional amendment that has been placed on the 2024 ballot, the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund will lose its only income source.
Resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners endorses the constitutional amendment to reauthorize the Minnesota State Lottery dedication to the Environment & Natural Resources Trust Fund for another 25 years.
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Background:
In 1988, Minnesota's voters approved a constitutional amendment establishing the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (Trust Fund). The purpose of the Trust Fund is to provide a long-term, consistent, and stable source of funding for activities that protect and enhance Minnesota's environment and natural resources for the benefit of current residents and future generations. Forty percent of the net proceeds from the Minnesota State Lottery are deposited to the Trust Fund each year; this contribution is guaranteed by the Minnesota Constitution until December 31, 2024.
Hennepin County has an abundance of diverse landscapes and natural reso...
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