Spending Valentine’s Day with the Outdoors, Arts, Environment
The Senate and the House passed a bill Thursday to let voters decide whether to amend the Constitution to increase the sales tax by 3/8ths of 1 percent in order to fund the outdoors, the arts and the environment, reported the Star Tribune.
The bill, also called “The Great Outdoors and Heritage Amendment� by groups such as Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, was passed by 85-46 in the House and by 46-17 in the Senate.
According to the Star Tribune, if the amendment is approved, $54.5 million, $91.1 million, $39.3 million, $91.1 million and $4.5 million would be dedicated to the arts, the outdoors, parks and trails, a clean water fund and sustainable drinking water programs each year for the next 25 years.
If approved, the sales tax increase would go into effect July 1, 2009.