Ag and vets omnibus bill

The House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Finance Division approved March 24 an omnibus bill that would make technical and policy changes to various agriculture and veterans programs.

Sponsored by Rep. Al Juhnke (DFL-Willmar), HF2678 would:

• add an official from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, or a peace officer from the county sheriff’s office, to those who could make a personal inspection of a farmer’s livestock loss due to a gray wolf;

• make technical changes to pesticide applicator references;

• permit the agriculture commissioner to waive certain review fees for businesses that sell prepackaged foods, such as video stores;

• repeal the loan incentive program for Native Grasses and Wildflower Seed Production;

• allow nonprofit farms less than 40 acres in size to use profits for educational purposes and be exempt from corporate farm land requirements;

• permit cities and towns to charge fees and spend money for county extension work, such as 4-H programs;

• require certain conditions to be met before Minnesota would be granted a federal waiver in regards to Ethanol-15, including that all cars could use the ethanol mixture, and the Department of Commerce could specify how long it could take gas stations to set up for the ability to deliver E-15;

• require banks to extend credit to feed mills at the beginning of the process of mediation, resulting in mills being paid for that feed;

• detail procedures on the proper way to fold and present the state flag; and

• permit the commissioner of veterans affairs to determine a suitable site and plan for three new state veterans cemeteries in northeastern, southeastern and southwestern Minnesota.

Rep. Doug Magnus (R-Slayton) said the division has done the best it can, calling it a “good bill, good for the state, good for agriculture and veterans community.”

The bill now goes to the House Finance Committee. A companion, SF2737, sponsored by Sen. Dan Skogen (DFL-Hewitt), was to be heard March 25 by the Senate Agriculture and Veterans Budget and Policy Division.