Minnesota state lawmakers moved the Omnibus Agriculture Funding Bills in both chambers at the end of last week. The Omnibus measure funds programs in the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Minnesota Farmers Union Government Relations Director Stu Lourey says there’s a big difference between the House and Senate measures.

He says State Senators cut the Omnibus Ag Budget hard. This creates a challenge for the House Senate conference committee which will have to reconcile the bills.

Lourey says his group will try to convince conferees to restore the funding cut in the Senate and to follow more of what the House provided.

Lourey says last week the Minnesota House also heard testimony on the property and local tax bill. He says their President Gary Wertish asked lawmakers to provide a 30 percent increase in the ag to school tax credit.