5/15/06
ACTION:
• Contact House Speaker Steve Sviggum at 651-296-2273 or
rep.steve.sviggum@house.mn.
• Contact Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson at 651-296-3826 or sen.dean.johnson@senate.mn.
• If your Representative is on the House Tax Committee, call or e-mail him or her with the same message (committee list below).

BACKGROUND:
There is one week remaining in the state legislative session and a tax bill has not been passed. The Senate has passed an Omnibus Tax Bill that is missing key provisions that the Land Stewardship Project is working for. The House Omnibus Tax Bill contains the provisions, but the bill is currently stuck in the House Tax Committee. However these two bills are reconciled, it is critical that the final tax bill sent to Gov. Tim Pawlenty include these two provisions that support family dairy farmers and beginning farmers:

1. DAIRY INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT. This proposal includes pasture development, on-farm processing and refrigerated trucks to deliver products processed on-farm. This tax credit would allow dairy farmers to take a 10 percent state tax credit on up to $500,000 of improvements. Expenditures for on-farm processing (for example bottling milk or making cheese or yogurt on the farm), refrigerated trucks used to deliver the milk or other dairy products, and pasture development should be eligible for this 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.

• Message to Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson: "The final tax bill must include the Dairy Investment Tax Credit and the credit should apply to pasture development, on-farm processing and refrigerated trucks to deliver dairy products processed on-farm. The tax bill should also include a state tax credit for renting land to a beginning farmer. However, the Senate Omnibus Tax Bill (H.F. 3374) does not include a tax credit for renting land to a beginning farmer and does not allow the Dairy Investment Tax Credit to be taken for the purchase of refrigerated delivery trucks. Dairy farmers who bottle milk or make dairy products on their farm deliver it direct to consumers and retailers. Refrigerated delivery trucks are a part of their dairy system and should be eligible for the tax credit. These provisions are important for family farmers and our rural communities, and should be a part of the final tax bill. Please, use your leadership to see that they are included."

• Message to Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum and Representatives on the Taxes Committee: "The final tax bill must include the Dairy Investment Tax Credit and the credit should apply to pasture development, on-farm processing and refrigerated trucks to deliver milk processed on-farm. The tax bill should also include a state tax credit for renting land to a beginning farmer. Both of these provisions are currently in the House Omnibus Tax Bill (House File 2457). Please, use your leadership to see that they stay in and are a part of the final tax bill."

MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE TAXES COMMITTEE
For their e-mail address go to:
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committeemembers.asp?comm=23

Only the last four digits of the phone numbers are given. The area code and prefix is 651-296.

Rep. Phil Krinkie, R-Shoreview 2907
Rep. Dean Simpson, R-New York Mills 4293
Rep. Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington 4218
Rep. Ron Abrams, R-Minnetonka 9934
Rep. Irv Anderson, DFL-International Falls 4936
Rep. Joe Atkins, DFL-Inver Grove Heights 4192
Rep. Connie Bernardy, DFL-Fridley 5510
Rep. Laura Brod, R-New Prague 4229
Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston 9278
Rep. Jim Davnie, DFL-Minneapolis 0173
Rep. Chris DeLaForest, R-Andover 4231
Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake 2190
Rep. Dan Dorman, R-Albert Lea 8216
Rep. Ron Erhardt, R-Edina 4363
Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker 2451
Rep. Mike Jaros, DFL-Duluth 4246
Rep. Jim Knoblach, R-St. Cloud 6316
Rep. Lyle Koenen, DFL-Clara City 4346
Rep. Paul Kohls, R-Victoria 4282
Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead 5515
Rep. John Lesch, DFL-St. Paul 4224
Rep. Paul Marquardt, DFL-Dilworth 6829
Rep. Joe Mullery, DFL-Minneapolis 4262
Rep. Peter Nelson, R-Lindstrom 5377
Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia 0170
Rep. Katie Sieben, DFL-Newport 4342
Rep. Ray Vandeveer, R-Forest Lake 4124
Rep. Andy Westerberg, R-Blaine 4226
Rep. Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove 5502

For more information, contact Bobby King at bking@landstewardshipproject.org or 612-722-6377.

 

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