Minnesota voters favoring renewal of dedicated lottery funding for environment

Early returns from Minnesota’s only constitutional amendment question on the November ballot showed voters favoring renewal of dedicated lottery funding for the outdoors, a system that has delivered more than $1 billion to environmental projects since it began 36 years ago.

For the measure to pass, more than 50% of voters must say “yes” to the continued flow of Minnesota State Lottery cash into the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

Since voters first adopted dedicated lottery funding for the outdoors in 1988, the pipeline of money has provided tens of millions of dollars a year for clean water, wildlife habitat, environmental education, trails, land acquisition and other projects beneficial to natural resources.

“This goes to show that people can still agree on clean water and the environment, no matter what your politics are,’’ said Michelle Stockness, executive director of Freshwater, a St. Paul-based nonprofit. “We’re lucky to have a fund like this and other states would love to have it.’’

If the final vote is a “yes,” Minnesota will dedicate a portion of state lottery proceeds to outdoor causes for a third time since 1988, and the system will be in place at least until 2050. If the measure fails, lottery money will continue to flow to the trust fund unless the Legislature changes it.

Dakota County Board Chair Joe Atkins said environmental groups and other supporters of the amendment kicked off a “Vote Yes’' campaign this summer at West St. Paul’s Thompson County Park.

“Voters here strongly prefer constitutionally dedicating these lottery dollars … rather than giving the dollars to legislators with no guarantee about how they will be used,” he said.

The lottery amendment dedicates 40% of state lottery profits to the trust fund. The annual draw from the fund is shepherded by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The commission’s yearly recommendations must be approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor for the money to be released. In the current fiscal year, the trust fund generated $76.6 million to underwrite 101 projects. Next year, the withdrawal from the fund will surpass $100 million for the first time.

Previous statewide votes in 1988, 1990 and 1998 overwhelmingly supported the constitutional dedication of lottery funds toward preserving and restoring wild places.

This year’s proposed constitutional amendment included a new aspect: It will increase the maximum allowable annual draw from the trust fund from 5.5% to 7%. To address the additional 1.5%, the Legislature created a new community grant program for underserved organizations and communities. Overseen by the Department of Natural Resources, the grant program would dole out money in consultation with an advisory council for projects consistent with the constitutional purpose of the trust fund.

The Center of the American Experiment urged a “no” vote, arguing that the Legislature would have no control over the community grant program and that constitutionally dedicated funding is bad public policy.

Also new to this year’s amendment is a provision that would prevent the use of lottery proceeds for wastewater infrastructure. Research projects for the betterment of those facilities would still be eligible.