Dear Neighbors,
Here is an update from St. Paul.
Agriculture Omnibus Bill
On Monday, the House passed the Agriculture Omnibus Bill on a bipartisan vote 110-18. This is a great bill for people in our community and throughout Greater Minnesota. The agriculture industry plays a significant role in our state's economy and our everyday lives. Our bill will aid our farmers, improve food safety and promote additional economic opportunities in agriculture.
First, as avian flu continues to be a serious issue for our state as a leading turkey producer, the bill provides additional funding to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Board of Animal Health to help combat and prevent this disease. For our farmers who are losing flocks and for the people who work in the processing plants or hold other jobs within the poultry production industry, the avian flu is a crisis of utmost importance, and I am pleased the House is working in a bipartisan effort to fund response efforts.
Next, the Agriculture Omnibus Bill also aids rural Minnesotans and farmers, strengthening production ag research to improve crop yields, funding unpaid claims due to wolf and elk depredation, and improving farm-to-food shelf programs.
Finally, the legislation streamlines food safety regulations between the Department of Agriculture and Department of Health. It also promotes economic opportunities in agriculture by creating three production-based bioenergy grant programs that have the potential to bring more than $800 million in activity to our state's economy and create thousands of new jobs.
As the Vice Chair on the Agriculture Finance Committee, I am pleased that we were able to move forward a comprehensive bill that will benefit rural Minnesota, our hardworking farmers and the agriculture industry.
Minnesota Turkey Growers BBQ
On Tuesday, the GOP Rural Caucus put on a bipartisan BBQ to support our local turkey growers. More than 500 turkey burgers were handed out in an hour! It was a fun event to work at, and I appreciated folks showing up to support our important turkey industry.
Our state is a proud leader in turkey production, and I am pleased that we were able to put on this event to show people that turkey is still safe to eat—and delicious too!
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If I can ever assist you or your family on a matter of state government, please don’t hesitate to contact my office. I am here to serve you!
Have a great weekend!
Deb
**Encourage your neighbors and friends to sign up for my email updates at www.house.mn/01B