Legislative Update
Good morning,
We definitely enjoyed a fantastic Independence Day weekend! On Friday morning, we were setting up for LakeFest in Waseca at Clear Lake Park, then we jumped into the PT Cruiser and drove down to Blooming Prairie for the Old-Fashioned 4th of July parade. The parade was superb! It was great to see everyone in the crowd and many of the same supporters Jeanne and I met while door-knocking and participating in local events! Next, we returned to LakeFest for the music and fireworks over Clear Lake in Waseca.
 Representative Sexton, Spouse Jeanne Sexton, Driver Uncle Joe Sexton
Great American Kites Show
On Sunday, we visited Farmamerica and witnessed the kites from the Great American Kites Show. The winds were a bit light for consistent kite flying, but the staff estimated over 3,000 people in attendance. Overall, we enjoyed a very patriotic weekend in southern Minnesota!
Nitrogen Management Presentation
On Wednesday, July 9th, I participated with several of my colleagues in the Nitrogen Management presentation and field tour at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center as well as a tour of the field drainage water management project located at Farmamerica. Both events were well attended and very informative. Thank you to the Minnesota Corn Growers, University of Minnesota staff, and the Farmamerica staff.
 Dr. Fabian Fernandez explaining the U of MN test plots and their study of the impact of different Nitrogen fertilizer quantities on the corn crop growth and development.
 (Left to Right, Front Row): Minnesota Senator John Jasinski, Senator Rob Kupec, and Senator Mary Kunesh.
(Left to Right, Back Row): Representative Tom Sexton and Representative Keith Allen. Also in attendance, Representative Erica Schwartz.
Waseca County Fair
Finally, we helped open the Waseca County Fair. Although it was a bit warm outside, we raised the official flags and celebrated the start of this great event! It was my pleasure to see so many young men and women showing animals and participating in 4H sponsored events.
More on Agriculture & Legislation
Since we are discussing Agriculture, I thought I would share some of the highlights of the State of Minnesota Agricultural-related legislation that we passed only a couple of weeks ago.
During this legislative session, House Republicans delivered key wins to protect Minnesota’s farmers and livestock producers in the Agriculture budget. We secured full funding for wolf and elk depredation payments, ensuring fair compensation for wildlife damage. We also stopped a costly $180 million plastics testing mandate on grocers and food manufacturers, and preserved the independence of the Board of Animal Health to maintain strong disease response capabilities. We increased funding for rural broadband to help close the digital divide, and delivered nearly $13 million to support the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute’s (AURI) innovation and economic development work. These steps help keep our agriculture sector efficient and resilient.
We know that agriculture is a key industry for our state and our country, so it is very important that we are diligent to support farmers in their work. I thoroughly enjoy every opportunity that I have to learn more about this industry and how our work at the State Capitol can make a difference.
|
