Dear Neighbor,
The Legislature has been in recess this week in observance of the Easter/Passover holiday, allowing some extra time to meet with people in the district.
U.S. House member Collin Peterson was among those I met with and, of course, agriculture was a significant part of our discussion. Trade issues at the federal level potentially could damage Minnesota agriculture exports such as pork and soybeans. Fellow ag committee chairmen and I issued the following joint statement to address that subject this week:
“Agriculture is the backbone of Minnesota's economy, putting food on our table, fuel in our vehicles, and providing jobs for thousands of Minnesota workers. Foreign tariffs on products like soybeans and pork could be devastating to farmers already struggling with low commodity prices, and threaten Minnesota families, jobs, exports, and our economy. We urge the President to continue to work for trade policies that support Minnesota farmers and strengthen agriculture in our state and throughout the country.”
I may share more from the talk I had with Rep. Peterson in an upcoming column for our area newspapers. This week’s column addressed the impact of decisions made in St. Paul by the Legislature. Some people may wonder if/how those decisions make any difference and if/how they affect people personally. Check out the local papers for that column, or click here to see it on my House website.
Look for more from the Capitol soon. Only six full weeks will remain in the 2018 session when we return next week, so things will happen fast as we look to get our work done ahead of our adjournment in late May.
Sincerely,
Paul