The Legacy Amendment increased the state sales tax by three-eighths of one percent beginning on July 1, 2009 and continuing until 2034. The additional sales tax revenue is distributed into four funds as follows: 33 percent to the clean water fund; 33 percent to the outdoor heritage fund; 19.75 percent to the arts and cultural heritage fund; and 14.25 percent to the parks and trails fund.

Amidst an avalanche of messages from Republican capitol staffers and concerned activists, MPR wrote a great series on the research they’ve done into the lack of transparency into how the funds are distributed and how they’re being spent. Here’s part of the report:

St. Paul, Minn. — Nearly three years after Minnesotans authorized a new sales tax to send additional money to conservation, arts and parks, there is no public comprehensive list of the funded projects and their outcomes.

Moreover, a quarter of the $456 million allocated in the first two years of the Legacy Amendment is missing from the state website required to be the resource for displaying where and how the tax money is spent, according to an MPR News analysis. And while the website lists broad programs that received money, details are often lacking about which groups or projects received grants and whether the work was finished.

For example, none of the nearly $9 million in clean water funds the Minnesota Department of Agriculture received in the first two years appears on the website. And a website visitor can’t find out which groups received part of an $8.4 million Department of Natural Resources conservation grant.

In another report on what is missing from the reports, MPR even points out that records for public radio spending are incomplete (below). Watchdog Andy Cilek has covered this as well for a few years.

WHAT’S MISSING?

• The amount of money that went toward each program carried out in each of 12 regional library systems.

• The vast majority — $35 million worth — of grants to artists and art organizations distributed by the State Arts Board and 11 regional arts councils.

• A breakdown of costs for Legacy-funded programs carried out by public TV and radio stations.

• A list of grant recipients receiving money through the Outdoor Heritage Fund’s Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program, administered by the Minnesota DNR (recipients are listed on a DNR website, but a link to the site can only be found under “opportunities for funding” on the state’s main Legacy website.)

• A breakdown of costs for all Legacy-funded partnerships between the Minnesota Humanities Center and Councils of Color.

• A full list of the hundreds of clean water grant and loan recipients that received money from the Minnesota Department of Health, Public Utilities Authority, Minnesota Department of Agriculture and state Board of Water and Soil Resources.

• A breakdown of specific projects receiving funding through the DNR’s parks and trails Legacy funds.

• Up-to-date information on projects and programs from 2010-2011 that have been completed in all four areas of Legacy funding, as well as their outcomes. This information is available for only a small percentage of the listed projects.

Tags: Andy Cilek, Checks and Balances, DFL Legislators

I'll be on the radio today for a two-hour program from 3-5 p.m. with King Banaian of SCSU Scholars on AM 1280 The Patriot. Andy Cilek of the Minnesota Voters Alliance will on guest starting at 3:30 p.m. 1st CD GOP candidate Brian Davis will be an in-studio guest of the show starting at 4:00 p.m.

Before you listen to King and me, make sure you listen to the first four hours of the Northern Alliance Radio Network. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. you can hear Power Line's John Hinderaker and Chad and Brian from Fraters Libertas. Mitch Berg and Captain Ed are on the air from 1-3 pm.

I encourage you to all to listen.  Broadcasts can be heard on AM 1280 The Patriot, which has an Internet stream for those outside the Twin Cities. Brave Democrats and proud Republicans can join the conversation at (651) 289-4488.

UPDATE:  Andy Cilek was a guest from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. to talk about about his group's legal challenge to instant-runoff voting in Minneapolis. Click here to read the lawsuit.

UPDATE #2: 1st CD GOP candidate Brian Davis was a guest from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. to talk about his campaign.

Tags: Andy Cilek, Brian Davis, NARN