The 2023-24 biennial Legislative Session was described as “historic“ and for good reason. On many issues, including the environment and climate, that group of legislators passed huge laws which were sometimes decades in the making.
Comparatively, the 2025-26 biennial session might be seen as historically unproductive. Elections have consequences, both good and bad.
Whereas the 2022 election had given us a DFL trifecta and a new group of environmental leaders, the 2024 election gave us the most evenly divided legislature in decades. Democrats still held on to the Senate by a razor thin 34 to 33 margin but the House was now tied exactly 67 to 67. As a result, we needed to protect the previous sessions' victories from attacks led by both Republicans and a small group of pro-polluter so-called “Blue Dog” Democrats.
Since the legislature passed a two-year budget in 2025, there were no real “must pass“ bills in 2026. So this session was a less fraught replay of 2025. Key policy updates we advocated for include:
- The legislature did finally pass a bonding bill to pay for capital projects, and this year that included funding to allow the East Phillips (EPNI) Urban Farm project to move forward – a long-fought victory for environmental justice.
- We also successfully defended against transit cuts proposed by Governor Walz and Republicans.
- Data centers were a major focus this session as well. We helped strengthen a broad coalition fighting for protections and were successful in getting a moratorium or pause on data centers introduced in both houses, and passed a ban on Non Disclosure Agreements on the House floor. However, opposition from Big Tech and the AFL-CIO successfully blocked any new protections from the risks of hyperscale data centers.
Our expectations were low and they were met: most bills had no path to pass. The assassination of former speaker Melissa Hortman also hung over this year‘s proceedings, as did the Trump administration‘s multifaceted attacks on Minnesota, especially Operation Metro Surge.
And then came the turning of the tide. Minnesotans' successful resistance to Trump‘s authoritarianism, as well as his cratering poll numbers, brings us and our allies to a place of righteous determination. The polling numbers look good. We have every reason to believe our hard work can produce a much better 2027.
This hope for 2027 includes the environment. This year, my most energizing conversations with allied legislators happened when we explicitly acknowledged that our current work was all about preparation for 2027. Many of the bills we worked on this year, from solar permitting and land use reforms to transportation reforms and thermal energy networks, were designed to advance policy ideas which would build on the victories of 2023 and could pass in 2027. Our legislative allies are developing multiple models to raise needed revenue for climate mitigation and climate adaptation across multiple sectors of the economy. The common principle of these models is that we must make the polluter pay.
Another principle which guided our work in 2026 is that state agencies must do their jobs. Environmental laws are not environmental suggestions. State agencies like the Pollution Control Agency, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Health must use their authority to protect Minnesota and to protect our environment for future generations. The Minnesota Senate took a strong step by holding an oversight hearing on this problem of polluter capture.
2027 is likely to be very different. In addition to a new Governor, there will be many new legislators. This opens the door for the next legislature to include a stronger commitment to climate action and environmental justice.
Sierra Club‘s Political Committee, which screens candidates for endorsement, got to work early this year, helping to ensure environmental champions received a needed DFL endorsement. We are now focused on helping elect environmental champions in the August primary election, and then it's on to the general election.
Learn more and join us virtually on Monday, June 29th at 7 pm to hear directly from our Legislative Director about what happened and where we go from here. Details & RSVP.
