TWENTY-EIGHTH MEETING

STATE OF MINNESOTA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TWENTY-EIGHTH MEETING
NINETY-THIRD LEGISLATURE


Agriculture Finance & Policy Committee Minutes

Representative Samantha Vang, Chair of the Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee, called the meeting to order at 1:01 PM on March 5, 2024, in the Basement Hearing Room of the State Office Building.

The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.

Members Present
VANG, Samantha, Chair
PURSELL, Kristi, Vice Chair
ANDERSON, Paul, Republican Lead
BURKEL, John
CHA, Ethan
FREDERICK, Luke
HANSEN, Rick
HARDER, Bobbie
JACOB, Steven
NELSON, Nathan
REHM, Lucy
SENCER-MURA, Samantha
TABKE, Brad

A quorum was present.

Representative Pursell moved that the minutes from February 29, 2024, be approved. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

Representative Pursell assumed the gavel at 1:02 PM.

HF 4547 (Vang) relating to agriculture; modifying eligibility and applicant priority for farm down payment assistance grants.

Chair Vang moved that HF 4547 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Agriculture omnibus bill.

Chair Vang presented HF 4547.

Testifying on HF 4547:
• Levi Welbourn, member, Latino Economic Development Center and emerging farmer
• Taylor Olsen, Emerging Farmers Working Group Member, Land Stewardship Project Land Access
• Zoe Hollomon, Executive Director, Midwest Farmers of Color Collective
• Farhio Khalif, Executive Director, Somali American Farmers Institute

HF 4547 was laid over.

HF 3763 (Vang) Base funding for agricultural growth, research, and innovation program increased.

Chair Vang moved that HF 3763 be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Chair Vang presented HF 3763.

Testifying on HF 3763:
• Andrea Vaubel, Deputy Director, Minnesota Department of Agriculture
• Josh VanDerPol, Farmer, Pastures a’ Plenty Farm and Executive Committee Member, Minnesota Farmers Union
• Loren Dauer, Public Policy Specialist, Minnesota Farm Bureau

Chair Vang renewed the motion that HF 3763 be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

Chair Vang assumed the gavel 1:51 PM.

HF 4044 (Jacob) Property tax credit established for acres certified under Minnesota agricultural water quality certification program, and money appropriated.

Representative Jacob moved that HF 4044 be laid over for possible inclusion in an Agriculture omnibus bill.

Representative Jacob presented HF 4044.

Representative Pursell moved the H4044A1 amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Testifying on HF 4044 as amended:
• Brad Jordahl-Redlin, Pesticide and Fertilizer Management, MDA

HF 4044 as amended was laid over.

The committee was adjourned at 2:25 PM.




_________________________________________
Representative Samantha Vang, Chair



_________________________________________
Jared Margolis, Committee Legislative Assistant