| For Immediate Release |
| June 23, 2000 |
Speaking Out for Rural Minnesota
What is life like in rural Minnesota for farmers today? As more people call the Twin Cities home, many individuals lose sight of what is going on at farms throughout Minnesota. That is why it is so important to have elected representatives that understand our rural way of life to stand up for you in St. Paul at our State Capitol. We need to make sure the concerns of rural Minnesota are heard.
Since Republicans took the majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives, we have been determined to make sure rural Minnesotans are not treated like second-class citizens. Some legislative policies enacted in the past have unfairly benefitted those that live in the Twin Cities at the expense of those who call Greater Minnesota home.
House Republicans have been working hard to bring equality to programs that all Minnesotans. Whether that is getting needed equity to nursing homes in Greater Minnesota, improving roads and bridges across the state, cutting farm property taxes or making sure our rural schools are equitably funded, House Republicans have made sure your voices have been heard in St. Paul.
We must make sure that the concerns of small towns and communities don't ever get written off when fundamental questions of fairness are decided at our State Capitol. House Republicans have been working hard to improve family farms across Minnesota by lowering their costs of doing business and investing in programs that help farmers become integrated. One of the ways the state government can directly limit the business expenses family farms have to pay to operate is by lowering the property taxes they pay on agricultural production land for their local education levy.
Those that live in the cities pay property taxes on their homestead, but those that live and operate a farm are assessed property taxes on their house and on all their farm land. Republicans have supported legislation that limits property taxes on farmers' local education levy to their house, garage, and one acre of land. In fact, since the Republicans gained the majority in the House, we have been able to provide permanent property tax cuts on ag land of $64.1 million! Farmers will now enjoy a tax reduction of 30 percent from 1998 levels on their education agricultural taxes.
It is not by coincidence that the first and most significant property tax reform for farmers has happened since Republicans have been the governing majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Another important value-added program that has been a highlight in Minnesota has been our ethanol program. The ethanol program has been expanding markets for Minnesota-grown corn and provided a direct market for 280 million bushels that were not available prior to 1986.
Bringing equity in reimbursements for rural schools and nursing homes has been a major part of the House Republican agenda. We have been successful in slowly closing the gap - the disparity that exists in rural reimbursement rates. These gaps in funding have been created over the past several years, and since Republicans gained the House majority, we have been committed to reversing the DFL trend of inequity for rural Minnesota.
Through important efforts like historic property tax cuts and investments in the ethanol program, the Minnesota legislature can help reflect the unique challenges and opportunities facing Rural Minnesota. With your help, House Republicans have been strong advocates for rural Minnesota, making headway in providing funding equity between the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.