Blog - Minnesota Corn Growers Association

Legislative Update: Important bills move to the floor

Posted on April 20, 2018

By Amanda Bilek, Minnesota Corn Growers Association senior public policy director

It was a flurry of activity this week in St. Paul as legislators put in long hours to assemble supplemental finance bills for committees with jurisdiction over different parts of the state budget.

The finance bills being put forward by different committees also contain various changes to existing law and new policy proposals. Since the Legislature and Governor Mark Dayton finalized a two-year state budget during the 2017 legislative session,

Gov. Dayton states support for tax relief for ag land converted to buffers

Posted on April 20, 2018

Governor Mark Dayton announced his support today for a bill that was a top priority for the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) during the 2018 legislative session. The bipartisan legislation would provide farmers with a $50 per acre tax credit for farmland no longer in production due to the Minnesota Buffer Law, eliminating the financial penalty of continuing to impose property taxes at the highest rates on farm land that is converted to buffers.

MDA responds to MCGA’s call for the release of the draft Nitrogen Fertilizer Rule

Posted on April 18, 2018

Last month, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) sent a letter to Governor Mark Dayton requesting the immediate release of both the draft Nitrogen Fertilizer Rule and detailed GIS maps, followed by a 90-day comment period. Recently, MCGA received an official response to its requests from Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Commissioner Dave Frederickson.

In the letter, Commissioner Frederickson stated the draft Nitrogen Rule has not yet been released because the language and accompanying Statement of Need and Reasonableness are still being drafted,

The historical timeline of the Nitrogen Fertilizer Rule

Posted on April 18, 2018

The Nitrogen Fertilizer Rule has become a hotly debated topic during the 2018 legislative session. With that, there have been many inaccurate reports circling regarding the draft Rule, particularly how this draft Rule came to be. Below is a detailed timeline of the Nitrogen Fertilizer Rule, which dates back to 1989.

1989

Groundwater Protection Act is passed by Minnesota Legislature and signed into law. Authority for the Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Plan and the Nitrogen Fertilizer Rule is provided through the passing of the Groundwater Protection Act.

Harold Wolle provides a tour to a U.S. Grain Council trade team

Minnesota’s corn growers build relationships abroad with statewide benefits

Posted on April 18, 2018

The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) and its grower leaders have worked closely with outside organizations like the U.S. Grains Council to build export markets for American agriculture. By hosting delegations from across the world and traveling abroad to see export market opportunities up close, Minnesota’s corn growers are building relationships that will lead to a more sustainable future for our state’s ag sector.

Minnesota’s agricultural production exceeds $16 billion annually, making it the fifth largest in the country.

Tags