Two retiring Minnesota lawmakers are being recognized for their contributions to agriculture and rural communities. State Senator Ann Rest and State Representative Paul Torkelson received the inaugural Minnesota AgriGrowth Farm and Food Legacy Award. Torkelson served 18 years in the Minnesota Legislature and is looking ahead to Tuesday’s election. He says Republicans have a strong slate of candidates and expects a competitive race. Torkelson also reflected on the legislature’s close division over the past two years. “It’s very interesting. Out of 201 legislators, we had 100 Republicans and 101 Democrats,” Torkelson told RRFN. “In the House, we were absolutely tied, which really was an informative experiment because all of the work had to be done at the committee level. No bill could get out of a House committee without bipartisan support.”
