NEW ULM — Dist. 15 Sen. Gary Dahms, R-Redwood Falls, says he feels pretty positive about House passage of the Agriculture budget bill the Minnesota Senate passed 43-23 on April 30.

“I think it’s a good bill. It takes meaningful steps supporting Minnesota farmers, with investments in livestock production, mental health outreach, rural development and agricultural education. I think it will move (through the House). There are differences, but I think they’ll easily be worked out,” Dahms said.

Some of the best parts of the agricultural bill are continuing the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Farm to School program that supports Minnesota school districts and early childhood education centers that want to buy and serve Minnesota agricultural products.

“Farm to School is a wonderful program already in play. Beginning farmer and other good programs are funded again too,” said Dahms.

“There are a lot of good pieces in the bill including meat, poultry and dairy funding to help get more processors. Some small town butcher shops closed. We’re starting to get some of them back. We got more funds for animal disease programs,” he said.

Senate Republicans focused on ensuring taxpayer dollars sent to nonprofits fund their operations instead of administration. Additional amendments were offered to increase accountability and transparency.

Dahms voiced concerns about new fees and fee increases.

“There are a couple clinkers like fee increases for grain storage. Hopefully, we can put a cap on fee increases, especially for grain buyers and grain storage facilities,” he said.

Dahms said he’s concerned about the health and human services bill being discussed this week. He said the Senate DFL plan would cut health and human services spending by about $1.3 billion over the next four years by shifting a lot of funding for nursing homes and disabled programs down to counties.

“That creates direct property tax increases, averaging nine to 10 percent. You don’t reduce spending if just give it to the counties,” Dahms said.

He said a proposed sales tax increase over two years would add professional service fees on professional services done by accountants and attorneys.

Dahms and Rep. Paul Torkelson, R-Hanska, said a recent Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) update finds the state’s decision to provide free health care to illegal immigrants is more costly than anticipated.

“It’s a sticky issue. We should take care of people that paid taxes before illegal immigrants,” said Dahms.

“It turns out, when you offer something for nothing, especially when that something is free health care, it becomes very popular. The number of illegal immigrants in this program has more than doubled expectations, and it’s only been available for less than two years,” Torkelson said in a recent news release.

According to the MDH, 17,396 illegal immigrants are now enrolled in MinnesotaCare, more than twice the original estimate of 7,700. Originally projected to cost $196 million over four years, state taxpayers are now on the hoof of an estimated $550 million, and Torkelson said that number is growing daily.

“We’re now spending more than half a billion dollars to give illegal immigrants free health care, yet Governor Walz wants to cut nursing home funding by $700 million. This is yet another instance of misplaced priorities, and with a mammoth budget deficit coming up, it’s time for lawmakers to start using some common sense when it comes to funding statewide needs,” said Torkelson.