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State Representative Patti Fritz
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8237
For more information contact: Michael Howard 651-296-8873
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Fritz supports urgency vote on Green Acres
Saint Paul, Minnesota - With hundreds of farmers and FFA students at the State Capitol for “National Teach-Ag Day," State Rep. Patti Fritz joined State Rep. Larry Hosch to pass a bill that helps many Minnesota farmers facing a May tax decision. Making a motion to “declare an urgency” on the house floor, Hosch brought forward HF 12 for an immediate vote. The bipartisan bill, which had been stalled in the committee process, passed on a bipartisan vote.
“Today’s bipartisan vote was a positive way to support Minnesota farmers and all Minnesotans,” said Fritz. “This bill has broad support and our farmers were counting on us to act quickly. I am glad we were able to get the job done.”
The bill makes much-needed changes to the Green Acres program, which helps farm families protect their farms from heavy property taxes that can occur when land development causes assessments to rise. The Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota Farmers Bureau and County Assessors all supported the changes. Hosch sought an urgency declaration today because of the approaching May 2nd deadline for farmers to decide whether they should enroll in the Green Acres program.
“We needed to get this done now for the thousands of Minnesotans across the state waiting for us to take action on a common-sense bill to support family farmers,” said Hosch. “I am glad my motion to move this bill forward was successful so we can take positive action on behalf of the farmers of Minnesota.”
HF 12 makes several improvements to the Green Acres program, including:
• Retains of the Green Acres program for productive ag-land and the Rural Preserve program for non-productive land.
• Covenants and conservation plans that were previously required under the Rural Preserve program are eliminated, but land still has to be part of an ag homestead, unless it was enrolled in Green Acres prior to 2008.
• Land that was properly enrolled in Green Acres and was removed in order to enroll in the Rural Preserve program prior to Sept. 1, 2011, is grandfathered in.
• The ‘clawback’ to recover tax benefits after selling ag-property for a non-ag purpose is kept at 3 years for property currently enrolled, or enrolled prior to May 1, 2012, in either Green Acres or the Rural Preserve program. For property originally enrolled after May 1, 2012, the clawback period is 5 years for both Green Acres and Rural Preserve.
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You can contact Rep. Fritz at 651-296-8237, and by email at rep.patti.fritz@house.mn.
News Items
- STATE REP. PATTI FRITZ PARTICIPATES IN START OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 3:32PM)
- Rep. Fritz: Homeowners, Farmers Need Property Tax Relief - (Posted: 2012-05-01 00:00:00)
- Rep. Fritz: Let’s Vote on a Bonding Bill that Benefits All - (Posted: 2012-04-19 00:00:00)
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