Committee Description

Legislative Committee

Scope of work:

•Send resolutions that impact the Bylaws or Manual of Policy and Procedures (MOPP) to the Bylaws-MOPP Committee.

• Reject resolutions that are duplicative of current policy.

• Clarify the intent of resolutions when not immediately obvious.

• Work with watersheds that submit similar resolutions to combine them into one.

• Debate resolutions in advance of the Annual Meeting on Resolutions and Petitions.

• Review and make recommendations to the legislative platform in partnership with the Minnesota Association of Watershed Administrators (MAWA) Legislative Platform Committee.

• Review materials for legislators and Minnesota Watersheds members on the priority legislative issues, providing context and why the legislation is important.

• Aid in legislative matters as requested by the Minnesota Watersheds Lobbying Team and executive director.

• Recommend legislative priorities, working with the lobbying team and executive director.

Committee Members:

Co-Chair: Don Pereira, Valley Branch WD
Co-Chair:  Michelle Overholser, Yellow Medicine River WD

Region 1 Managers:
Gene Tiedemann, Red Lake WD; Linda Vavra, Bois de Sioux WD; Don Andringa, Sand Hill River WD

Region 2 Managers:
Andrew Weber, Lac qui Parle Yellow Bank WD; Jeff Gertgen, Middle Fork Crow River WD; Ruth Schaefer, Middle Fork Crow River WD; Brad Kramer, Shell Rock River WD (2026 - at large member)

Region 3 Managers:
Don Pereira, Valley Branch WD; Beverly Burnett, Prior Lake-Spring Lake WD; Marcie Weinandt, Rice Creek WD; Bonnie Nelson, Riley-Purgatory-Bluff Creek WD; Shawn Mazanec and Joe Collins, Capitol Region WD (2026 - at large members)

Administrators:
Region 1 - Dan Money, Two Rivers WD; Tracy Halstensgard, Roseau River WD
Region 2 - Amber Doschadis, Upper Minnesota River WD; Michelle Overholser, Yellow Medicine River WD
Region 3 - Phil Belfiori, Vadnais Lake Area WMO, Nick Tomczik, Rice Creek WD

LGN Lobbying Team