Text: May 30, 2017The Honorable Kurt DaudtSpeaker of the HouseState Office Building, Room 463100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155Dear Speaker Daudt:Please be advised I have received, approved, signed, and deposited in the Officeof the Secretary of State Chapter 88, House File 1545, a bill related to agriculturefinance and policy.This bill makes investments in Minnesota's agriculture industry, ruralcommunities, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the Board of AnimalHealth (BAH), and the Agriculture Utilization Research Institute (AURI). Though thisbill does not contain the level of investment I proposed in my budget, it is a compromisethat ensures our agencies are able to carry out their missions and continue servingMinnesotans and our farmers.The bill I vetoed, Chapter 41, Senate File 780, included zero additionalinvestment in the agriculture budget. This bill, by contrast, provides an additional $4.970million investment in Minnesota's agriculture, rural economy, and the state agencies thatserve our farmers. These investments strengthen the State's support to our farmers andagri-businesses by investing in critical services, research and business growth: Critically,this bill extends the Farmer-Lender Mediation Program which assists farmers strugglingwith low commodity prices and high input costs.While the bill makes many important investments, I am disappointed that the billdid not include my recommendation to establish a dedicated pollinator protectionaccount. The bill also did not include my policy recommendation to allow thedepartment of Agriculture to have the authority to track and regulate the sales and theuse of seeds that are treated by pesticides. The dedicated pollinator account would havebeen funded from $1 million in general fund and $500,000 in fees levied on pesticideproducts that are harmful to pollinators. The pollinator account would have supportedcollaboration with the University of Minnesota, experts, and farmers to develop bestmanagement practices, stewardship materials, educational efforts and research toimprove the health of pollinators in Minnesota.I am also pleased to see the following investments in the bill:• Funding for the Farm Advocate Program;• Funding for the tractor safety rollover program;• Funding to support the production and marketing of industrial hemp;• Funding to address noxious weed threats, such as Palmer Amaranth;• Funding for pollinator research;• Increased funding in AGRI to support urban agriculture and the Good FoodAccess Program; and• Increased funding in AGRI to provide production incentives to new andinnovative agri-businesses.Additionally, the compromise budget now includes a fee increase for non-agriculturepesticides that funds the MDA's waste pesticide disposal program. This program has beenan unequivocal success, collecting more than 450,000 pounds of household and agriculturalwaste pesticides in all 87 counties. This program is fully funded from fees paid by pesticideregistrants and provides safe disposal of waste pesticides at no cost to Minnesotans.The bill I vetoed, included a provision that stripped the Department of Agriculture'sexisting pesticide enforcement authority and placed it in conflict with federal law. Thecompromise policy language included in this bill does not place the agency in conflict withfederal law.In my veto letter dated May 12, 2017, I stated that I was confident that we couldwork out our differences and develop an agricultural budget that invests in Minnesota'sagricultural industry. House File 1545 is a compromise that does just that.Sincerely,Mark DaytonGovernorcc: Senator Paul E. Gazelka, Senate Majority LeaderSenator Thomas M. Bakk, Senate Minority LeaderSenator ToITey N. Westrom, Minnesota SenateRepresentative Kmi Daudt, Speaker of the HouseRepresentative Melissa Hortman, House Minority LeaderRepresentative Rod Hamilton, House of RepresentativesThe Honorable Steve Simon, Secretary of StateMr. Cal R. Ludeman, Secretary of the SenateMr. Patrick Murphy, Chief Clerk of the House of RepresentativesMr. Paul Marinac, Revisor of Statutes