This week’s ag update from the Minnesota state capitol
Written by Anna Boroff
Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) Policy Director
The legislature has to be done by May 18, which means we’re getting closer to crunch time for many ag and corn-related bills. Here is this week’s legislative update:
Buffer update
Nothing new to report on the buffer front. Based on conversations I’ve had around the capitol, I still think the governor will try and get something related to buffers passed at the end of this session, but I’m not sure what that “something” will look like. Here’s the latest news report.
Environmental bill
Both the Senate and House passed their versions of an environmental bill last week. You can find a summary of the House version here.
As the environment bill moves forward, keep in mind that the Senate and House treat agriculture differently in terms of committee structure. The Senate bill is called the Environment, Agriculture and Jobs bill. Ag is not included in the House version of the Environment bill, and will be passed separately early next week. I’m assuming the ag portions of each bill will be conferenced separately, but it’s always possible it could get combined with another subject area.
The House has a few amendments dealing with pollinators/neonics (seed treatments) offered, but the only successful change thus far on the that subject is in the Legacy Funding bill that adds language regarding the minimization of pesticides on pollinator habitat areas.
As the environment bill moves forward, keep in mind that the Senate and House treat agriculture differently in terms of committee structure. The Senate bill is called the Environment, Agriculture and Jobs bill. Ag is not included in the House version of the Environment bill, and will be passed separately early next week. I’m assuming the ag portions of each bill will be conferenced separately, but it’s always possible it could get combined with another subject area.
Ag research funding
There have been a few changes to a proposal to provide important funding to the University of Minnesota to research emerging plant and animal diseases, conduct productivity research, and provide for agriculture education. Based on feedback from legislators, changes were made to the board that would oversee the funding.
The board, which would consist of farmer-led organizations like MCGA, ag groups, U of M staff, agency officials and others, was changed to an advisory board, with funding passing through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to the U of M. This proposal is included in the House Omnibus Agriculture Finance bill, which is expected to be acted on by the full House early next week.
The Senate language on the proposal has some differences from the House, so this will be an item to be worked on in conference committee.
Bioeconomy bill
To alleviate concerns from some House legislators about the costs of this bill in later years as projects come online, an amendment changed the funding to a one-time set appropriation instead of it being a standing appropriation. Again, the House and Senate have differences when it comes to this new program, so conference committee will certainly result in some changes.
We also broke down the benefits of this bill for corn farmers (and everyone else) in a blog post on Monday.
Ag nuisance lawsuit reform
The full bill to reform ag nuisance lawsuits didn’t make it through the committee process, but a study by MDA on the topic is included in the ag finance bill. The study will identify causes of growth or decline to the livestock industry in Minnesota and the House version includes the impact of nuisance lawsuits against both poultry and livestock farmers.
Avian flu
Both the House and Senate have passed the first wave of funding for the avian flu crisis. Another round of funding was added to the House ag finance bill. More details on the avian flu and the legislative is covered here.
Taxes
Not much new to report here, other than the House took up the tax bill yesterday. As I mentioned last week, farmers do get a portion of tax cuts in the House tax bill in the form of a “refund” of half of what they pay for school construction bonding projects. This allows the state to essentially buy down the property tax, instead of shifting the burden on to other homeowners. The tax bill is typically the last bill out the door at the end of session, so stay tuned.
