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| Date: | January 11, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Sandra Whalen | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-5238 | | Contact Email: | sandra.whalen@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SEN. DeKRUIF AUTHORS “GREEN ACRES” REPEAL Second Senate bill would restore law to pre-2008 status |
(ST. PAUL)– Senator Al DeKruif (R-Elysian) has co-authored a bill that will reverse tax law changes made at the end of the 2008 legislative session that put many Minnesota farmers and land owners in a financial bind. Senate File 2 will repeal changes to the state’s “Green Acres” tax law and restore the classifications to pre-2008 status.
“Across the state, family farmers and rural land owners are continuing to be punished by these bureaucratic changes and need immediate relief,” DeKruif said. Lawmakers from around the state have heard that implementing the changes is costing counties as their budgets are shrinking, and property owners are taking drastic changes to avoid unexpected increases and penalties. Some property owners have experienced significant increases in their property taxes.
While a number of bills making long-term changes have been introduced over the past several years, efforts to make any changes to the law were trapped in legislative red tape. Attempts to bring the issue to the Senate and House floors were shot down by DFL majorities in both houses. This is the first year of Republican majority in the legislature, and the first year a reform of the law is likely, DeKruif said. It is unknown whether new DFL Gov. Mark Dayton will support the legislation.
The “green acres” law was originally passed in 1967 to prevent the premature development of farmland through tax deferment benefits. More recently it drew legislative attention because it was available only in some counties and was seemingly being administered without consistency. DeKruif said he would work on further proposals to address the need to make the law more consistent statewide.
“I want to see the issue fully vetted and resolved,” he said. “We need to give landowners relief now, and SF2 does that.”
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