MO legislators request special ag session

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MO legislators request special ag session

Missouri House Agriculture Policy Committee Chairmen Don Rone has sent a letter to Governor Mike Parson requesting a special legislative session to address agricultural issues. Rone tells Brownfield while legislators would like to further discuss several ag related issues, small business and agriculture related tax credits are a must.

“If the governor saw fit just to do that, that would be great,” he said. “I would like the others to be brought into it: the biodiesel, the eminent domain; the Democratic representative, he has a great amendment into this in SNAP.”

Rone said only minor progress was made on ag related issues in the recent state legislative session. Legislation which protects private property rights against eminent domain passed the Senate but didn’t reach the House floor.

He said Senate Bill 37 addresses several ag topics like anhydrous application, Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority tax credits and a SNAP program that allows recipients to use their credits at local farmers markets.  

“Senator Bernskoetter had [Senate Bill] 37 which delt with anhydrous and so we just tacked everything onto that and made an omnibus bill out of [SB] 37 for ag,” Rone said.

He said if no action is taken before the tax credits expire this December, he hopes they are addressed in January. The letter was co-signed by Representative Rick Francis and state Senators Mike Bernskoetter and Jason Bean.

Don Rone Interview

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