SAINT PAUL- Today the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the House Agriculture Finance Omnibus bill on a unanimous 134-0 vote. The bill, SF780, is authored by Chair Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, combines a number of spending and policy provisions aimed at supporting the Ag industry which is critical to Minnesota.
“Last session we placed a strong emphasis on farm and food safety,” Hamilton said. “With this bill we focused on plant and habitat health across our great state, and I’m pleased with the overwhelming bipartisan support it received.”
The bill dedicates significant investments to the following Ag issue areas:
- Ag emergencies, such as tractor rollovers, Avian Flu, and noxious weeds.
- Rapid response to plant pests and pathogens.
- Growing and diversifying our agro-economy, in areas like industrial hemp and biofuel.
- Continued support for production agriculture research, farm safety, Ag Education, and youth development.
- Creating a dedicated Pollinator Habitat and Research account.
Special focus in this bill is given to plant agriculture, emerging noxious weed threats (specifically palmer amaranth), and investment in the future of agricultural practices and technologies.
The Senate passed their own Agriculture Finance bill last week. The two bills will now head to conference committee as lawmakers work out differences between the proposals.
###