Dear Neighbor,
It was a great honor to take the oath of office and officially become a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives this week as we kicked off the 2023 legislative session.
A sincere thank-you goes to my constituents for entrusting me with this incredible responsibility and will do my level best to represent all the people of our district. It was a heartfelt swearing-in ceremony – humbling beyond belief – and now I look forward to advocating for our local values as we get down to business in the House.”
As for official work, I have been selected to serve the House committees on commerce and housing during my first biennium. These committee assignments are right in my wheelhouse. My personal background and perspectives will allow me to bring good, common-sense ideas to the table in the House.
We have a big job to do before adjourning in late May, with many important decisions to make – especially those related to the state’s surplus of around $18 billion and growing. My focus will remain to get as many of these dollars back in the pockets of overcharged taxpayers as possible. It’s simply the right thing to do.
We can take a closer look at that important subject and others in future updates throughout the session. For now, here are some other notes, including online resources from the Minnesota House of Representatives that are available to help people stay in the loop with what’s happening in St. Paul:
House online resources
Grants for first-time farm purchases
Applications are now being accepted for a new grant program to support Minnesotans purchasing their first farm. The Down Payment Assistance Grant Program is managed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and it offers dollar-for-dollar matching up to $15,000 for qualified small farmers to purchase farmland.
Farmers must be Minnesota residents who will earn less than $250,000 annually in gross agricultural sales and plan on providing the majority of the day-to-day physical labor on the farm for at least five years. Applicants must not have previous direct or indirect farmland ownership.
The application and more information on the grant program can be found at this link.
Have a good weekend and please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. The best ways to reach me during the session are by calling (651) 296-4308 or by emailing rep.jeff.dotseth@house.mn.gov.
Sincerely,
Jeff