Legislative update: House reaches power-sharing agreement
First House ag hearing highlights sustainable aviation fuel
By Amanda Bilek
MCGA Senior Public Policy Director
We are nearly a month into the 94th Minnesota State Legislature and just last week the House DFL and GOP reached a power sharing agreement enabling the House to organize and get to work on legislative business. Last Thursday, GOP leader Lisa Demuth was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for the next two years. The GOP will hold a one-seat majority on House committees until after the special election on March 11 in Roseville. If the DFL candidate prevails, in a DFL leaning district, committee membership will be evenly split, and all committees will have co-chairs and co-vice chairs to represent the 67-67 split of the Minnesota House.
The Minnesota House Agriculture Policy and Finance committee held their first committee hearing yesterday with Chair Paul Anderson (GOP-Starbuck) presiding. After member and staff introductions the House committee had a one-hour informational hearing on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). I had the opportunity to provide testimony and share the perspective of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association on the potential new value-added market opportunity to utilize corn as a feedstock for SAF production. We view corn as having a near-and-long term role in the SAF sector. Current corn ethanol production provides an abundant, affordable, and existing infrastructure to utilize for SAF. There are challenges to overcome, but we look forward to working with a diverse set of partners to make SAF production a reality in Minnesota.
The committee also heard from Delta Airlines, the Minnesota SAF Hub, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota Bio-fuels Association and the Minnesota Forest Industries. The different testifiers were selected to demonstrate various technology and raw materials pathways to help meet the SAF demand airlines have set for themselves. Video from the hearing is embedded below.
Next week, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association will host our annual day at the Capitol where farmer-leaders from across the state will spend the day meeting with their representatives and senators, committee chairs, and legislative and administration leadership. It is a great opportunity for farmer-leaders to discuss MCGA state policy priorities.
The MCGA policy team is working with legislative champions to get bills introduced that reflect our priorities. SF 960, the Buffer Property Tax Exemption, has been introduced by Chief Author, Senator Aric Putnam (DFL-St. Cloud) and co-authored with Senators Bill Weber (GOP-Luverne), Rob Kupec (DFL-Moorhead), and Torrey Westrom (GOP-Alexandria). The House companion should be introduced in the next couple of weeks.
SF 882 appropriates funding for the Soil Health Equipment Assistance Program at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The bill has been introduced by Senator Heather Gustafson (DFL-Forest Lake) and co-authored by Senators Gene Dornink (GOP-Brownsdale), Rob Kupec (DFL-Moorhead), Judy Seeberger (DFL-Cottage Grove), and Bill Weber (GOP-Luverne). The House companion should be introduced in the next couple of weeks.
SF 881 appropriates funding for the Biofuels Infrastructure grant program at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The bill has been introduced by Senator Rob Kupec (DFL-Moorhead) and co-authored by Senators Torrey Westrom (GOP-Alexandria), Heather Gustafson (DFL-Forest Lake), Gene Dornink (GOP-Brownsdale), and Aric Putnam (DFL-St. Cloud). The House companion should be introduced in the next couple of weeks.
Finally, the House of Representatives Environmental and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee will hear HF 8, a proposal championed by Rep. Josh Heintzeman (GOP-Nisswa) that would increase the efficiency and predictability of Minnesota’s environmental permitting system. The bill has the board support of a diverse coalition, including MCGA, and is in response to a Minnesota Chamber of Commerce foundation study on Minnesota’s environmental permitting system.
Read more: Reforming Minnesota’s environmental permitting system: Balancing environmental integrity and economic growth (From the Environmental Permitting Reform Coalition)
