5/04/06
Immediate calls are needed to members of the Taxes Committee of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Two bills that the Land Stewardship Project has been working to pass need to be amended into the House Tax Bill, which could be voted on in committee as quickly as Thursday, May 4. The two amendments that need to be added are:

1. Dairy investment tax credit that includes pasture development and on-farm processing. This would allow dairy farmers to take a 10 percent state tax credit on up to $500,000 of improvements. The tax credit includes on-farm processing—including refrigerated trucks used to deliver the milk—and pasture development as improvements eligible for the tax credit.

2. State tax credit for renting land to a beginning farmer. This would provide a state tax credit to a landowner who rents land to a beginning farmer. The credit is 10 percent of the cash rental price for up to three years. This bill is based on a successful Nebraska program and addresses one of the biggest barriers to beginning farmers—access to land.

If these measures are not in the bill, Rep. Greg Davids (R-Preston) is prepared to offer them as amendments. Rep. Davids is a member of the House Taxes Committee as well as Chair of the Agriculture Policy Committee. Rep. Lyle Koenen (DFL-Clara City) is working with Rep. Davids and is the lead author of the beginning farmer bill and is also a member of the House Taxes Committee.

TAKE ACTION NOW
Call the Chair of the House Taxes Committee, Rep. Philip Krinkie (R-Shoreview), at 651-269-2907 and urge him to support Davids’ amendments to the House Tax Bill.

Also, call other members of the Taxes Committee. For a list of the names, telephone numbers and e-mails of all members of the House Taxes Committee go to:
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committeemembers.asp?comm=23

Here is the message to members of the House Taxes Committee: “I understand Rep. Davids will offer two amendments to the House Tax Bill. One gives dairy farmers a tax credit of up to $50,000 for improving or expanding their dairy farm. The second creates tax incentives for landowners to rent to beginning farmers. I urge you to support both of these amendments. They are important for family farmers and our rural communities.”

Call the Land Stewardship Project’s Bobby King at 612-722-6377 for more information.

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