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 March 6-10

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:

HF2277 (Vang) Eligibility for beginning farmer tax credit modified for sale of agricultural asset, credit administration funding provided, sunset of credit repealed, and money appropriated: This bill supports MFBF’s priority issue regarding new and beginning farmers by extending the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit to family members and eliminating the sunset on the tax credit. This bill was passed and moved on to the Taxes Committee. MFBF Supports this bill; written testimony was submitted.

HF2354 (Pursell) Drainage registry information portal established, and money appropriated: This bill creates a statewide drainage registry portal of drainage projects. This bill was laid over for possible inclusion into a larger omnibus package. MFBF opposes this bill; written testimony was submitted.

S.F. 0878 (Green) Wolf and elk depredation payments appropriation: This bill provides funds to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to give payments to farmers who suffered loss of livestock from wolves or elk. This bill was laid over for possible inclusion into a larger omnibus package. MFBF supports this bill; District 6 Director Miles Kuschel provided testimony.

S.F. 1937 (Hawj) Pollution Control Agency citizen membership reinstatement: This bill reinstates the MCPA citizen membership board. This bill was passed and sent to the Senate Environment, Climate and Legacy committee. MFBF opposes this bill; Public Policy Director Pierce Bennett provided testimony.