Each week during the Minnesota legislative session, the Minnesota Farm Bureau will highlight its work with elected officials to support our members and agriculture. While we advocate for our members on a wide variety of topics, our Board of Directors set six priority issues for the 2023 state legislative session, and our efforts to advance those issues are highlighted below.

Recap: Week of Feb. 13 to Feb. 17

Our public policy team and leadership has been connecting with elected officials and other policy influencers to share our member’s stories, and build relationships to reinforce our position as a leader in agriculture issues in Minnesota.

Here are the bills that moved through this week:

S.F. 1246 (Kupec) Biofuel financial assistance appropriation: This bill supports MFBF’s priority issue for further development of renewable fuels by providing a grant to fuel stations for upgraded tank infrastructure to house renewable fuels. This bill was laid over for possible inclusion into a larger omnibus package. MFBF Supports this bill; written testimony was submitted. 

S.F. 0973 (Weber) First-tier valuation limit modification for agricultural homestead properties: This bill improves property taxes for farmers by moving a larger portion of the property evaluation into a first-tier evaluation amount that is taxed at a lower rate. This bill was laid over for possible inclusion into a larger omnibus package.  MFBF Supports this bill.

H.F. 1074 (Brand) Minnesota Initiative Foundations funding provided, and money appropriated: This bill supports MFBF’s priority issue regarding rural vitality by addressing needs surrounding childcare availability. This bill was laid over for possible inclusion into a larger omnibus package. MFBF Supports this bill.

H.F. 1180 (Brand) Greater Minnesota care facility program funding provided, and money appropriated: This bill supports MFBF’s priority issue regarding rural vitality by addressing needs surrounding childcare availability. This bill was laid over for possible inclusion into a larger omnibus package. MFBF Supports this bill.

S.F. 0331 (Hoffman) Certain property authorization to be eligible for green acres tax deferment: This bill allows for property previously enrolled in the Green Acres program to qualify again if the land was enrolled for assessment year 2012 but did not qualify for assessment years 2013 to 2023 due to an eminent domain action that reduced the total acreage to less than ten acres. This bill was laid over for possible inclusion into a larger omnibus package. MFBF Supports this bill.

H.F. 1474 (Frederick) Agriculture; report required, biofuel assistance funding provided and money appropriated: This bill supports MFBF’s priority issue for further development of renewable fuels by providing a grant to fuel stations for upgraded tank infrastructure to house renewable fuels. This bill was laid over for possible inclusion into a larger omnibus package. MFBF Supports this bill; written testimony was submitted.