Dear Neighbor,
The weeks are busy at St. Paul and here at home. The soybean harvest is in full swing, at least it was until the rains of the past few days. Hopefully, the sun will soon re-appear to dry things out, and the combines can roll again. Yields are good, however commodity prices leave something to be desired.
I also attended a couple of meetings this week that focused on water quality and soil health. The first was in St. Paul where Rep. Rick Hanson and I were on a legislative panel speaking to a group of Iowa legislators. The other meeting was Wednesday in Sauk Centre, where area Soil and Water Conservation Districts held their fall meeting. Minnesota's new buffer law was the main topic of conversation as our SWCDs will play a major role in the implementation of buffer strips on public waters and ditches
In other news, it appears we will avoid the propane crunches of previous years this harvest season, but changes are needed to ensure a stable supply for the long haul.
The House led to passage this year legislation expanding access and increasing the affordability of propane, which is especially helpful in Greater Minnesota. One provision provided tax credits to people who pre-purchase their propane supplies in bulk during warmer months, instead of in winter when supplies get tight and prices surge. Another measure exempted propane storage tanks larger than 100 gallons and their accompanying equipment from sales tax.
Unfortunately, the insistence of some to raise the gas tax ultimately stalled these proposals that would have provided significant propane relief for Minnesotans.
It is good this growing season has been conducive to early maturity of crops and the dry conditions of late will lessen the stress placed on our propane supply. But that is not always the case and we need to do even more to level out the supply and protect consumers. I look forward to continuing this discussion as we revisit this subject during the 2016 legislative session.
Sincerely,
Paul