During Tuesday’s election, Minnesotans overwhelmingly voted to continue dedicating funding to water quality, air quality, and conservation.
A whopping 77.4% of voters supported a constitutional amendment that would renew a 35-year-old program that gives 40% of the state’s lottery profits to the state’s environmental and natural resources fund.
The amendment was first passed in 1988 and has been amended twice since then. According to CureMN, thousands of projects have been created, and over $1 billion have been invested in communities across the state.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The ballot question read:
“Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to protect drinking water sources and the water quality of lakes, rivers, and streams; conserve wildlife habitat and natural areas; improve air quality; and expand access to parks and trails by extending the transfer of proceeds from the state-operated lottery to the environment and natural resources trust fund, and to dedicate the proceeds for these purposes?”
It was the only statewide constitutional amendment on the ballot Tuesday night, with 3,253,279 voters casting their ballots, with 2,524,586 voting in favor.