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Minnesota lawmaker concerned about tractor rollovers

A Minnesota lawmaker is bringing attention to the danger of tractor rollovers on the farm.

Representative Paul Anderson, who farms near Starbuck in west central Minnesota, says it’s the older equipment in livestock areas that has him especially concerned.

“Where they have a chore tractor they use to haul bales, cut hay, pack silage…things like that.  These older tractors didn’t come with rollover protection.”

Tractor rollovers are the leading cause of U.S. farm fatalities and both New York and Wisconsin have initiated voluntary programs that incentivize installing rollover protection on tractors.

Anderson tells Brownfield he’d like to see Minnesota do something similar.

“We could utilize a combination of a limited amount of state dollars with some donated dollars, maybe from some of our big ag companies in the state.  Together, maybe we could launch this program.”

He says introducing a bill in 2016 would be difficult because it’s not a budgeting year in the Legislature, but would like to see something started within the next two years.