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Pawlenty permanently exempts milk haulers from weight rules Tuesday, April 8, 2008
ST. PAUL -- Gov. Tim Pawlenty has signed a law permanently exempting milk haulers from certain truck weight restrictions.
The former exemptions had expired July 1 and there was concern whether or not the exemption would be passed because of deterorating roads throughout the state.
Effective March 20, milk haulers are permanently exempt from certain truck weight restrictions, limits and prohibitions, including spring weight restrictions. A vehicle may not exceed a weight restriction of 5 tons per axle by more than 2 tons per axle.
Rep. Al Juhnke, DFL-Willmar and Sen. Betsy Wergin, R-Princeton, sponsored the bill.
Green Acres program may be changed
Rep. Lyle Koenen, DFL-Clara City, is sponsorsing two bills, HF4160 and HF4123, to address some of the findings of a Legislative Auditor's report on the Green Acres program. The bills were laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill being crafted by the House Property Tax Relief and Local Sales Tax Division.
The bills tweak the definition of agricultural land, repeal the minimum income requirement for the program and allow existing Green Acre recipients to be "grandfathered" into the new program. Koenen said he hopes the changes will preserve farmland near areas of development.
Sen. Gary Kubly, DFL-Granite Falls, sponsors a companion bill to HF4123, which has been incorporated into the Senate tax bill in a slightly different version. Sen. Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, sponsors the tax bill, SF2869, which passed the Senate on April 3.
Bovine TB bill
ST. PAUL (AP) -- A Minnesota Senate panel voted Wednesday for a plan to contain and eradicate bovine tuberculosis in part of northwestern Minnesota where the disease has infected both cattle and deer.
The Finance Committee approved the bill from Sen. Rod Skoe, DFL-Clearbrook.
Its main provision is a $3.5 million buyout and fencing program for herd owners in the outbreak area.
Ranchers and farmers could sell their herds for $500 per head, plus ongoing yearly payments of $75 per head until the area is disease-free. The animals would be destroyed.
Livestock owners could also get aid to put up more fences separating cattle from deer, since bovine TB spreads through contact between the animals.
Skoe said livestock owners have recognized the need for aggressive, quick action against the disease.
"This is a hard disease to control," he said.
Separately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it will spend $16.8 million to eradicate bovine tuberculosis in Minnesota, Michigan and California. The money will go toward culling infected cattle herds and extra surveillance of white-tailed deer that might be carrying the illness.
Bovine TB infects cattle, bison, deer, elk, goats and other species.
Rep. Dave Olin, DFL-Thief River Falls, is sponsoring a companion bill, HF4075. |
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