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Minnesota Legislature reconvenes for 1-day special session

The Minnesota Legislature will reconvene for a one-day special session today with the intent of hammering out a budget plan.

House and Senate leadership have been meeting with various conference committees since the regular session ended Monday.

Minnesota Soybean Growers CEO Joe Smentek says at last check, the ag finance bill included funding for the proposed Soy Innovation Campus in Crookston.

“A large crush facility, a large biodiesel facility up near the University of Minnesota, with a smaller associated crush facility where we could further do some research on some of the soybean varieties that we are creating to help develop new markets for soybeans in the state of Minnesota.”

He tells Brownfield the agreed upon language calls for $5 million to help fund the project.

Smentek says some tax priorities for Minnesota farmers appear to be in good shape too.

“Some (Section) 179 conformity, and the raising of the school levy buy-down going from 40 percent to up to 70 percent over a number of years. That really could help a lot of farmers out.”

There’s a lot on the line today because the legislature needs to approve a state budget plan or risk a partial government shutdown.