We had grown weary of reading news reports in which Elbow Lake Republican Torrey Westrom complained about the Minnesota House dragging its heels on drought relief for farmers.
To repeat Westrom's laments was to ignore what was actually transpiring in both chambers.
In fact, the Minnesota House had heard testimony in committee on administration-requested drought relief from farmers and DNR tree programs that had withered in last year's dry weather. Two related bills were merged in Ways and Means and passed on the floor on March 10.
Meanwhile, Westrom had spent meeting after meeting airing the complaints of deer and elk farmers over alleged losses from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) related movement bans and objections to concurrent authority over the farms by the Board of Animal Health and the Department of Natural Resources.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one to notice. Forum News Service capitol beat reporter Dana Ferguson writes in Minnesota lawmakers drop deer farmer provision from $10 million drought aid bill:
Senators on a state finance committee on Tuesday, March 22, pulled from a $10 million drought relief bill funding specifically for deer farmers, likely smoothing the plan's path through the Capitol.
Sen. Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake, initially proposed and another committee moved forward $500,000 specifically for deer farmers affected by extreme drought conditions last year. The provision drew opposition from Democrats who control the Minnesota House of Representatives and threatened to derail the bill in that chamber.
Westrom said he'd dropped that piece after hearing concerns about the funding. And he amended the bill to include $7 million worth of grants for specialty crop farmers and ranchers in the areas of the state hit hardest, as well as $1.5 million in loans to be administered through the Rural Finance Authority.
“In most cases, this is going to be just a fraction of the real cost but a significant help to maybe get through a couple more weeks or a couple more months of paying feed bills that are maybe behind,” Westrom said. . . .
About time.
Ferguson continues:
The changes approved Tuesday help to more closely align it with one passed through the House earlier this month. Democratic leaders in that chamber added another $13 million to replace trees and seedlings that dried out amid the drought and to set up local water infrastructure.
Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen on Tuesday said he appreciated lawmakers' quick action in getting a bill through the Capitol. He said it could take four to six weeks after it becomes law to start accepting applications.
“The sooner we can do that, I really feel strongly that we can help farmers pay a bill or two," he said.
The bill moves next to a Senate floor vote and, if approved there, lawmakers from both chambers could convene to iron out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. Gov. Tim Walz has said he supports the aid bill.
Related posts:
- Fact check: Did Rep. Paul Anderson say WI farmers got $100 million drought relief?
- MN House passes drought relief bill 101-33
- House to vote on drought relief Thurs afternoon; Senate burdens its bill with deer farmer aid
- Minnesota House Ways & Means Committee passes drought relief bill while senate dawdles
- Second Walz administration drought relief bill meets with GOP crabfest in committee
Photo: Drought conditions in Minnesota. Via Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
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