Legislation that if passed gives the Commissioner of Agriculture authority to create criteria to designate a county "Livestock 
Friendly ". To be designated "Livestock Friendly" a county must remove any limit on feedlot size; can not have any moratoriums on feedlot expansion or new construction; and can not have any prohibitions against earthen manure lagoons for new dairy operations. 

Counties must adopt MDA criteria for setback requirements for feedlots and enact severe restriction on farm developments in rural areas. This legislation takes authority and responsibility from local elected officials and put it in the hands of the Agriculture Commissioner {an appointed administrator in St. Paul}. The program brings no additional money or resources to the county.


Alien Ownership Bill: 

The bill weakens the state’s corporate farm law by allowing outside financing and ownership of Minnesota farm land. If the buyer is not the owner-operator who lives on the farm, we question its effects on the local and state economy. Will the dollars from foreign- owned farms roll over in the local economy like those from locally- owned and operated farms or will they bypass main street and leave our state? 

Secondly, foreign investment inflates the price of dairy farms beyond the purchasing power of beginning farmers and the financial capacity of operating farmers to up grade or expand. 

Thirdly, these foreign farmers were here illegally according to state law.

Environmental Review Bill: 

Takes away one of the fundamental principals of our constitutional rights, the right to petition. After 25 people signed a petition they had the right to order an environmental review.  To review questionable feedlots under 1000 animal units. Which is equivalent to 714 mature dairy cows or 3,333 finish hogs. The majority of livestock farms are under 300 animal units in the state of Minnesota and already are exempt from environmental review under the old rules. 

Ninety-eight percent of dairy farms,95% beef cattle farms and 75% of hog’s farms are already exempt from EAWs because they are under 300 Animal units. Over the past five years, ten EAWs {Environmental Assessment Worksheet} were ordered by local government. Of the ten, only one was for dairy.

Legislation that has been proposed that weakens township powers:

Senate File  2274 (Sens. Vickerman, Wiger, Day, Tomassoni) effectively takes away the current right of cities and townships to enact temporary moratoriums on large developments.  HF 2021 (Reps. Buesgens, Adolphson, Brod, Klinzing, Blaine, Abrams, Sertich.) is the companion bill and has passed through the House Local Government committee with a one vote margin.  It was improved through amendments but it still unnecessarily limits the time that a moratorium can be extended by a township. 

Senate File 2251  (Sens. Scheid, Vickerman, Wiger, Day, Tomassoni) might prevent any common sense limits to development that began before a zoning rule came into effect.  As written it may mean that a junkyard that started in a township before zoning ordinances were adopted would have the right to unlimited expansion.  House File 2057 (Reps. Abrams, Buesgens, Adolphson, Brod, Klinzing, Sviggum, Blaine, Lesch) is the companion bill to Senate File 2251. It has passed through the Local Government committee in the House and has been improved through amendments. 

Senate File 2108 (Sens. Hann, Rosen, Dille) eliminates the right of townships to apply temporary moratoriums to livestock facilities if the proposers have applied for a permit.  The proposers can easily apply for a permit before township officials are even aware of the proposal.  Current law allows local governments to enact temporary moratoriums on controversial developments, even if they have applied for a permit, while the issue is studied and local ordinances are considered.  The bill also limits township moratoriums to only 180 days as opposed to a year in current law.  The bill has not yet had a hearing.