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Rep. Hamilton confident Section 179 conformity will pass as standalone bill

The lead Republican on the Minnesota House Ag and Food, Finance and Policy Division believes full Section 179 conformity can pass on its own.

Representative Rod Hamilton of Mountain Lake says with legislators back in special session, it’s time to bring forward a standalone bill instead of attaching Section 179 to the bonding bill.

“Not this month’s special session but the previous (one), the Majority in the House, for whatever reason, well because they wanted to get a bonding bill passed, they played games with it and tied it to the bonding bill. And that’s what killed Section 179.”

During a Minnesota Farm Bureau Shoptalk webinar Thursday, he encouraged farmers to reach out to legislators who serve in the House Majority and urge them to introduce a standalone bill.

“Because if they are standalone bills, they will pass. Section 179 will pass very easily.”

And Hamilton says a bonding bill will also pass if House Democrats would simply sit down with the Minority and include projects important to them.