The budget will likely be the biggest hurdle for the Minnesota Legislature with a projected deficit in 2028-2029. Representative Paul Anderson, who is a farmer from Starbuck, said water issues will be monitored. A year ago, the Minnesota DNR was given $8 million over eight years to come up with a new map for public waters. “The troubling thing is the statutory definition remained in place that said anything that drains up to two square miles could be mapped as a public water,” said Anderson. “I really want to look at that again and try to use common sense because that could impact a lot of areas, especially the (Red River) Valley area where we have a lot of land that’s relatively flat and drains.” Anderson will be leading the House Agriculture Committee and said legislative priorities include the response to H5N1 and other animal health diseases and permitting.
