Session Weekly February 28, 2003, Volume 20, Number 8
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FEBRUARY 28, 2003 VOLUME 20, NUMBER 8 In this issue: IMMIGRANT FARMING PLAN U OF M REGENTS, NANOTECHNOLOGY, AND MORE HF561-HF667 ESSION S Weekly Session Weekly is a nonpartisan publication of the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services. During the 2003-2004 Legislative Session, each issue reports daily House ac- tion between Thursdays of each week, lists bill introductions and upcoming commit- tee meeting schedules, and provides other information. The publication is a service of the Minnesota House. No fee. CONTENTS To subscribe, contact: Minnesota House of Representatives HIGHLIGHTS Public Information Services 175 State Office Building Agriculture • 5 Higher Education • 9 Local Government • 12 St. Paul, MN 55155-1298 Children • 5 Housing • 9 Military • 13 (651) 296-2146 or Education • 6 Human Services • 10 Recreation • 14 1-800-657-3550 Energy • 7 Humanities • 10 Safety • 14 TTY (651) 296-9896 Government • 8 Insurance • 11 Transportation • 15 Director Health • 8 Law • 11 Barry LaGrave Assistant Director LeClair G. Lambert FEATURES At Issue: Environment— A bill moving through the House would move the Min- Editor/Assistant Director nesota Conservation Corps to the nonprofit sector. • 16 Michelle Kibiger Assistant Editor At Issue: Higher Education— A joint House-Senate education committee nomi- Mike Cook nated a slate of candidates for the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents Art & Production Coordinator Feb. 26. • 17 Paul Battaglia At Issue: Technology— A Minnesota technology institute hopes to be on the cut- Writers ting edge of an emerging scientific advancement called nanotechnology • 18 Miranda Bryant, Patty Janovec, Jeff Jones, Tom Lonergan People— Gov. Orville Freeman, the state’s first DFL governor and later agriculture secretary to two presidents, died Feb. 20. He was 84. • 19 Chief Photographer Tom Olmscheid People — Rep. Randy Demmer (R-Hayfield) hopes he can connect his back- Photographers ground in agriculture, business, and education as a new representative. • 20 Andrew Von Bank, Kristine Larsen People — Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Mpls) brings a background in several com- Office Manager munity organizations, including the Metropolitan Council, to his new role as a Nicole Wood legislator. • 21 Staff Assistants Christy Novak, Joseph Rude People — Rep. Dean Simpson (R-New York Mills) has moved to the Legislature after more than two decades in local government. • 22 Session Weekly (ISSN 1049-8176) is published weekly during the legislative session by the People — Rep. Judy Soderstrom (R-Mora) first got to know her district as a real Minnesota House of Representatives Public estate agent and then by running for the Minnesota House. • 23 Information Services, 175 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes DEPARTMENTS/RESOURCES to Session Weekly, Public Information Services, Minnesota House of Representatives, It’s a Fact: Employee input 4 Committee Schedule (March 3-7) 29 175 State Office Building, St. Paul, Resources: 2003 Minnesota House of Reflections: 1920s economy 31 MN 55155-1298. Representatives and Senate 24, 25 Minnesota Index: State Parks 32 Printed on recycled paper which is 50% recycled, Bill Introductions (HF561 – HF667) 26 30% post-consumer content. On the cover: A Capitol visitor walks through the light streaming from one of the French doors on the second floor of the Capitol as temperatures reached over 40 degrees. — Photo by Kristine Larsen 2 February 28, 2003 IRST READING F★ ★ ★ obtaining loans have squeezed dairy farmers, particularly those with herds of less than 100 Opening up opportunities cows. Several farmers testified in support of the bill, Bill would allow farmers from other countries to own and and farm-related organizations, including the operate Minnesota dairy farms Farm Bureau, Minnesota Dairy Leaders Roundtable, Livestock Development Authority and the Minnesota Soybean Growers Associa- BY TOM LONERGAN Minnesota with 16 million people and 1.2 tion, submitted statements of support. he farmer’s market is global and million dairy cows. During the last 10 years, Harv Schoon of Verndale, said his 900-cow Minnesota may tap other parts of the he said, Dutch farmers have moved to other dairy farm has been for sale for a year. “My Tworld to find more dairy farmers. continents as well as to the states of Michigan, phone hasn’t rung,” said Schoon. He’s cut A bill approved Feb. 26 by the House Agri- Indiana, and Iowa. 23 of 30 workers and laid off a veterinarian culture Policy Committee would ease the “We’d prefer they were in Minnesota,” for his herd. “I don’t have the money to in- state’s restrictions on foreign ownership of Markham said. vest,” he said. “If I did, it farmland. Sponsored by Rep. Greg Blaine Minnesota is the could be profitable.” (R-Little Falls), HF447 could potentially open only state in the nation Ron Tobkin, a farmer the state’s doors to farmers from other coun- that doesn’t recognize from Perham, said the tries. Bill supporters say it could bolster the holders of the invest- bill easing restrictions state’s declining dairy industry. ment visas as “perma- on farm ownership Rural Minnesota “is in a crisis situation,” nent residents” for the could be the dairy Blaine said, citing the struggles faced by dairy purpose of owning industry’s “only salva- and livestock farmers. “This is not a cure all farmland. Last year tion.” He attended a or a complete answer,” he said. “It is a tool.” Iowa changed its farm January trade show in There was no discussion of the bill’s cost, if ownership law to rec- the Netherlands with any, to the state. ognize the visa holders. farm business represen- The bill, referred to the House Civil Law Minnesota also re- tatives and said that Committee, would amend state law to broaden stricts certain forms of Dutch farmers would be the definition of a “permanent resident alien corporate farm owner- interested in buying ex- of the United States” to include holders of ship. isting Minnesota farms E-2 investment visas. The state’s restric- or starting new ones. The federal government allows citizens of tion on farmland own- Roger Heller, of the countries that have a treaty with the United ership is not Minnesota Dairy Broker States to remain in the country under special “anti-immigrant,” said Association, spoke in visa status because they’ve invested in an eco- Rep. Kent Eken (DFL- support of the bill. He’s nomic enterprise. The visa remains in effect Twin Valley), who op- visited farms in the as long as the person operates the business. poses the bill. “The law Netherlands and said However, the state’s “alien farm law” which keeps absentee owners Dutch farmers “want to requires that 80 percent of a farming enter- from other countries take a look” at the state. prise be owned by a U.S. citizen or a perma- taking wealth out of the “They are interested in nent resident alien does not currently state,” Eken said. living in Minnesota.” recognize holders of the investment visas. There are now less Rep. Mary Ellen Doug Spanier, a policy analyst with the state than 6,500 dairy Otremba (DFL-Long Agriculture Department, said families from farms in the state, Prairie) asked Heller the Netherlands, Ireland, and Canada have down from 7,800 just why there was an as- contacted the state. “They want to become citi- two years ago, accord- sumption a Dutch zens and farm here,” Spanier said. It can take ing to the Agriculture farmer could operate a up to five years for a person to gain citizen- Department. A No- dairy farm profitably, ship after permanent resident status, he said. vember 2002 depart- given depressed milk PHOTO BY TOM OLMSCHEID Kurt Markham, director of agricultural ment survey of 700 Harv Schoon of Verndale, who milks 900 cows, prices and other difficult marketing services, said the department sup- state dairy farmers re- testifies before the House Agriculture Policy conditions, compared to ports the bill. Farmers from the Netherlands ported that more than Committee Feb. 26 in favor of a bill that would state farmers. can’t expand in their home country, he said, one-third of the re- lift restrictions on immigrants to own farmland “The Dutch have a because of urban sprawl and restrictions on spondents doubted in the state. dairy ethic,” Heller said, dairy herds. “They need to move,” Markham they’d be milking cows in 10 years. Low milk including “a love of cows and a love of the in- said. The country is one-fifth the size of prices, high operating debt and difficulty dustry.” He said the bill does not imply Session Weekly 3 Employee input Freeman started idea whereby workers’ ideas saved the state money Gov. Orville Freeman expended consid- year the board rewarded 56 employees for erable energy, and wind with several lengthy suggestions that saved taxpayers more than Dairy operations such as this one could be pur- speeches, crusading for reorganization of $20,000 and that resulted in better and more chased and operated by farmers who immigrate government in the mid- to late-1950s. Three rapid services.” to Minnesota from other countries, under a bill times toward the end of that decade he pro- The board’s five members all worked for moving through the House. posed plans for reshaping the state’s meth- the state. State law required that they served Minnesota farmers are “not efficient.” A farm ods of providing government services. on the board in addition to their regular du- broker in four states, Heller said, “neighbor- These pleas are chronicled in a number of ties and received no additional compensation. ing states don’t have dairy farms for sale.