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Missouri lawmakers are tweaking foreign ag land bill

Two Missouri lawmakers say an updated Foreign Ag Land Ownership bill can move through the state legislature before session ends.

State Senator Rusty Black from District 12 says a special committee, called the Senate Select Committee on the Protection of Missouri Assets from Foreign Adversaries, has agreed to use House Bill 903 as a template. This bill prevents non-U.S. citizens or foreign businesses from owning farmland in the state.

“It takes foreign ownership of ag land back to pre-2013,” he says. “That was before the bill was changed.”

Black says he is expecting amendments to the bill. The initial sponsor of the bill, Representative Mike Haffner, tells Brownfield a House caucus will review the Senate’s changes and then, the bill will be reviewed by a conference committee. He says the House wants to ensure there’s balance of national security and economic investment opportunities for agriculture.

“There are some exemptions in the bill that allow for experimentation and testing on the plant side as well as the animal side. That’s how we’re protecting the economic opportunities moving forward.”

Missouri’s state legislative session ends May 12.

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