St. Paul - The Minnesota House of Representatives suspended the rules Wednesday to take up the conference committee report of
HF 2225 - providing emergency funds to the Department of Agriculture and Board of Animal Health in order to better prevent and respond to the avian influenza outbreak that has devastated Minnesota turkey flocks. The House of Representatives voted unanimously in favor of this measure. Rep. Tim Miller (R-Prinsburg) served as a member of the conference committee that worked out differences between House and Senate versions of this legislation.
To date,
19 counties in Minnesota have been affected by avian influenza.
“It is a top priority to protect and preserve our food supply. The avian flu outbreak is devastating for my community, but it also has a very significant impact on our state as whole. I’m proud we took action today to respond to this growing problem,” said Rep. Miller. "It was an honor for me to serve on the conference committee and I'm pleased we were able to come together in a bipartisan way to begin address this challenge facing Minnesota farmers."
The motion to suspend the rules was made by Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Dave Baker, R-Willmar.
"Farmers in Kandiyohi County and across Greater Minnesota are really hurting and this funding will help our emergency response teams continue to combat this crisis," Rep. Baker added. "I'm grateful that the legislature was able to act quickly, and look forward to Governor Dayton signing this bill in the coming days."
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