Lawmakers in St. Paul spent most of the week debating and passing budget bills on the House and Senate floors. The House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee continued to vet budget bills and move them to the floor for a vote. Leadership in both chambers have been meeting to negotiate joint budget targets but have yet to come to an agreement. With just over two weeks until adjournment, it appears legislators will be racing against the clock to complete their work on time.

The Senate passed its agriculture budget, HF 2446 (Putnam), off the floor on a 43-23 vote Wednesday. Since the House already passed its agriculture budget, the next step is for each chamber to appoint members to a conference committee. Once joint budget targets are released, they will be tasked with negotiating the final agriculture budget.

Bills this week:

SF 570 (Hauschild)/HF XXXX - Wetland Conservation Act determinations efficiency modifications; appropriating money.

Summary: Streamlines the environmental permitting process through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Environmental Quality Board (EQB). Shortens timeline for local governments to make Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) determinations.

Position: Support as amended.

To our members: Inefficiencies with environmental permitting have resulted in Minnesota losing out on economic opportunities to neighboring states. Streamlining the permitting process will make Minnesota’s business and economic environment more competitive and help to retain businesses that already call Minnesota home.

Action taken by MFBF: Joined the Environmental Permitting Reform Coalition and signed onto a letter of support.

Status: Passed the Senate State and Local Government Committee and sent to the Finance Committee on 05/01/2025. Not yet introduced in the House.

 

HF 2446 (Putnam)/HF 2446 (Anderson, P. H.)) – Omnibus agriculture finance and policy bill.

Summary: Sets the budget for the Department of Agriculture, the Board of Animal Health, and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute. The Senate version of the bill decreases the overall agriculture budget by $313,000 in fiscal years 2026-27 but increases it by $2.9 million in fiscal years 2028-29. In line with MFBF’s priority issues, the Senate bill contains funding increases for the Board of Animal Health, the agricultural emergency account, wolf and elk depredation payments, Minnesota Agricultural Education and Leadership Council grants, and Farm Business Management grants, among other programs. The Senate version also contains fee increases for some grain buyers, which is a concern we have communicated to key lawmakers.

On the House side, the bill increases the overall agriculture budget by $17 million in fiscal years 2026-27 and maintains that increase in fiscal years 2028-29. Much like the Senate version, it contains funding increases for the Board of Animal Health, the agricultural emergency account, wolf and elk depredation payments, Minnesota Agricultural Education and Leadership Council grants, and Farm Business Management grants, among other programs.

Position: Support both versions of the bill as amended.

To our members: The agriculture budget comprises 0.25 percent of the entire state budget while accounting for a disproportionate amount of the state’s economic activity. With Minnesota’s tight fiscal situation, we will not balance the budget by drastically cutting agriculture programs. This budget bill recognizes and respects that and provides strong investment in programs important to Minnesota farmers and ranchers.

Status: Passed the Senate floor as amended 43-23 and returned to the House on 04/30/2025. House requested a conference committee be appointed on 05/01/2025.

 

SF 2300 (Seeberger)/HF 2025 (Baker) - Earned sick and safe time provisions modifications.

Summary: As originally written the bill would have exempted all employers with 15 or less employees from the Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) law. Amended in the Rules Committee to remove this carveout altogether. Contains several other small tweaks to the ESST law.

Position: Supported as originally written, neutral as amended.

To our members: The exemption proposed in the original bill would have provided relief to small businesses, including the agriculture sector, which are already struggling with finding reliable, consistent labor. It is disappointing that lawmakers chose to remove this relief for small businesses from the bill.

Status: Passed the Senate Rules Committee as amended and sent to the Senate floor. Introduced in the House and referred to the Workforce Committee on 03/10/2025.

 

SF 2781 (Hawj)/HF 1362 (Heintzeman) – Omnibus environment and natural resources policy bill.

Summary: Modifies policy provisions related to environment and natural resources. Senate version amended to include a provision that returns to the Public Waters Inventory (PWI) as the standard for defining a public water, as opposed to the statutory definition.

Position: Support the Public Waters Inventory provision.

To our members: Farmers, landowners, and local governments deserve regulatory certainty and clarity with respect to public waters. Returning to the standard by which any public water must be reflected in the Public Waters Inventory would deliver this certainty and clarity, as opposed to the new statutory definition.

Status: Passed the Senate Environment Committee as amended and sent to the Finance Committee on 05/01/2025. Passed the House Environment Committee on 03/04/2025 and sent to the House floor.

 

The MFBF public policy team and leadership are keeping track of everything that happens at the Capitol. Throughout the session, we will continue to provide updates and insight into our work on behalf of our members.