Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is asking legislators to pass property tax relief in a package to help the state’s farmers. DFL State Representative Paul Marquart is sponsoring the bill, which is held over from last session. He says the measure helps farmers, schools and small businesses, who are all facing economic pressure.

Marquart says the measure includes $34 million in tax credits, which would reduce farmer’s taxes from those levies by 40 percent. It also helps address the biggest problem facing rural schools, which is aging buildings.

Marquart says over the last ten years, property taxes for Minnesota’s farmers have increased by 114 percent. He says this measure helps relieve that tax burden.

The tax credit would be available to all individual farm owners in Minnesota who pay property taxes for school district debt levies.