MN House Passes Ag Finance Bill

The agriculture finance bill is the first omnibus budget bill to pass the Minnesota House this session. It had overwhelming support with a vote of 130-to-three. Agriculture Committee Co-Chair Paul Anderson said it is a solid piece of legislation. “This is a pro-farming, a pro-agriculture bill,” said Anderson. “It prioritizes farmers, both large and small, and although the ag budget is a pretty small piece of the overall state budget, this bill will do a lot of good for the ag industry here in Minnesota.” With a split legislature, Republicans and Democrats have an equal number of members on committees. Ag Committee Co-Chair Rick Hansen said both sides were able to compromise and find ways to invest in Minnesota agriculture. “Those investments are not just protecting what we have, but looking at what we can do, how we can build a foundation and a future for Minnesota agriculture and for the people of Minnesota.” The ag committee was given a $17 million increase in the budget targets. Key provisions in the bill include increased funding for the Board of Animal Health to deal with the threat of avian influenza. There’s also an incentive program for farmers to improve nitrogen management and money for mental health outreach. The bill now goes to the Minnesota Senate.