Legacy Amendment tax increase takes effect this week

This week marks the beginning of sales tax collections for the Legacy Amendment, which dedicates a steady stream of funding from a sales tax increase for the environment and the arts.

Voters approved the new sales tax last fall, and collection begins on July 1.

The tax will remain in place for the next 25 years. Environmental groups will highlight some of the projects funded by the amendment today in St. Paul, Rochester and Duluth.

Steve Morse directs the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, a coalition of 90 nonprofit conservation groups statewide. He says the amendment is historic.

"Wednesday will be the beginning of a generational-long effort where Minnesotans agreed in the election last fall to chip in a little bit of money each day in order to protect what is really valuable for our state - that being our clean waters, our lands, lakes, rivers and streams and our cultural resources," he said.

The sales tax increase will bring in an estimated $234 million dollars a year over the next quarter-century.