What’s at Stake for Minnesota’s Environment this Session? 5 things to know

1. It's time to press PAUSE on data center development: The second day of session kicked off with a rally at the Capitol Rotunda, where more than a hundred Minnesotans from across the state gathered to let legislators know that they expect them to put the interests of Minnesotans and our natural resources above those of big technology companies when making decisions about data center development this session.

Important bills were also introduced at the rally, including a bill that would implement a two-year moratorium on data center development so that state agencies and leaders have time to study the potential statewide impacts of data centers on Minnesota's water, energy, and communities and develop research-backed regulations to better guide any future development in our state. 

MCEA's Executive Director, Kathryn Hoffman, was among the speakers at the rally. She told the crowd that Minnesotans have a real shot at passing a moratorium this session, and that Minnesota can be a model for responsibly regulating data center development and preventing massive environmental impacts, but only if we act now.

If you haven't already, take a moment and urge your elected representatives to support this bill, and stay tuned for other opportunities to support stronger data center protections this session.

2. Minnesotans rally for the BWCA, stronger protections from sulfide-mining threats: Hundreds filled the Capitol Rotunda again this week, this time to push for permanent protection of the Boundary Waters in the face of efforts in Washington D.C. that threaten it. While the U.S. Congress is considering ending a 20-year ban on leasing federal minerals in the Boundary Waters watershed, which would revive mining proposals like the Twin Metals copper sulfide mine, speakers, including MCEA’s Strategy Officer Aaron Klemz, emphasized that Minnesota has the final say, even if the federal government strips these protections. 

"Only the State of Minnesota can issue a permit to mine," Klemz said. 

Hundreds of attendees met with legislators working to enact stronger protections for Minnesota’s water and communities against toxic sulfide-mining pollution and defend against possible efforts to weaken Minnesota’s mining standards. Our legislative team will track all of it this session, with particular attention to any efforts that could affect PolyMet/NewRange's ongoing effort to open a sulfide mine upstream from Lake Superior.

3. PFAS, climate change, agricultural pollution, and more on the table: In addition to a suite of legislation aimed at responsible data center development, MCEA will be working hard this session to defend against industry efforts to erode Minnesota's landmark 100 percent clean energy law and the state's partial PFAS ban passed in 2023. We'll also be advocating for additional PFAS protections, stronger regulations for large-volume water users in our state, zero-waste initiatives, mandatory environmental review for agricultural drainage projects that are degrading rivers and streams in the Minnesota River Valley, and other strategic environmental initiatives. We'll be diving deeper into many of these issues in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned. 

4. A split legislature and an outgoing Governor: A split House between Republicans and Democrats, and a narrow one-seat DFL majority in the Senate will make it challenging to pass groundbreaking legislation this session. But it's possible that outgoing Governor Tim Walz will want to use his final session to do something bold for Minnesota's environment and climate, and we certainly intend to make the case that he should.

5. The urgency of state action:  As the Trump administration continues to accelerate attacks on critical environmental protections at the national level, it's more important than ever to shore up protections for Minnesota's natural resources and the health of our communities at the state level.  It will take all of us reaching out to ensure legislators understand the stakes and Minnesotans’ expectations for environmental and climate action this session. It’s our goal to make that as easy as possible, so keep an eye on your inbox for actions you can take to engage. 

Stay in the know: Legislative session is a harried time with multiple bills filed daily on a plethora of issues. Our legislative team is here to help you cut through the overwhelm and stay in the know about critical environmental legislation under consideration this session. Our website is a helpful resource for finding fact sheets on relevant issues and tracking the status of bills.