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MO House expected to vote on foreign ag land bill

The vice chairman of Missouri’s House Ag Committee says a bill addressing foreign ag land ownership requirements could come up for a vote in the full House in the next week. House Bill 903 is one of several foreign ag land ownership bills being considered in the state legislature.

Kurtis Gregory tells Brownfield the bill, sponsored by the House Ag Committee Chairman Mike Haffner, caps how much ag land a foreign company or person can own in the state and requires the Attorney General and Secretary of State, not the state ag department, to approve the purchase.

“There’s a list of countries who cannot purchase anymore including China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and Venezuela.”

The Senate is taking a different approach to the issue considering other foreign ag land bills through a special committee. Missouri Senate Ag Committee Chairman Jason Bean says a special committee was established to review three other foreign ag land bills that have already been considered by the Senate Ag Committee.

“The committee will look at all the bills. We want to stand up for what is right here, but we have to remember Missouri’s top industry is agriculture.”

Missouri is one of several states addressing foreign ag land ownership through its state legislature this year.