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THE LAND, JANUARY 17, 2014
22 A
Repealing of tax laws on Torkelson’s House agenda on my agenda,” Torkelson said. Those targets By DICK HAGEN would be the warehousing tax, the machinery The Land Staff Writer repair tax and the telecommunications sales tax, He still claims farming as his No. 1 he said. Because of a surplus in the state budget, profession but politics have certainly Torkelson feels these taxes should and could be become his No. 1 hobby. And when you revoked. are one of few “bonafide” farmers serving in the Minnesota House of Repre“But the one that’s not getting as much attensentatives perhaps “hobby” is a bit of a tion as I think it should is the gift tax passed in stretch. Like any hobby, the longer you Paul Torkelson the last session. Minnesota is one of only two stick around the more it grows. states in the nation with a gift tax,” Torkelson We’re talking about Paul Torkelson, Hanska-area said. This particular tax has a potentially big impact farmer, first elected to the Minnesota House in on farmers because if a farmer wants to “gift” part of 2008. His committee list now includes Energy, Envi- his estate to someone (within the family or elseronment and Natural Resources Policy, Agriculture where) he has to pay a tax on the market value of that gift. In view of current land prices this gift tax and Rural Development and Legacy Funding. Torkelson heads back up to St. Paul Feb. 25 for the could be huge. As a ranking Republican, he knows full well the start of the 2014 Legislative Session but even prior to that official start he’s involved in various com- challenge in getting this tax eliminated. “It seems mittee meetings in St. Paul and elsewhere. It’s sort the current majority wants to keep spending and of like getting a few of your ducks lined up before increase the size of government every chance they get,” Torkelson said, adding that he and his Republithe gavel starts that first session, he said. So what are the “big ducks” for this 2014 session? can colleagues want to slow down spending. Because the 2014 session is essentially a bonding “A strong effort to repeal some of the taxes that were imposed by the last legislative session is high session (where/how state money should be allocated), Torkelson said his votes lean to infrastruc-
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ture, especially transportation — roads, highways and bridges. “My bias is away from things like civic centers, but instead focus on the ‘nuts and bolts’ stuff that makes our economy work better.” After four to five years of accelerated growth in the agricultural industry but a definite slow down now in place how might this impact 2014 legislative activity? “A big challenge is educating other people in the state assembly about the volatility of agriculture. I keep hearing about $7 corn. Well that’s history as we in agriculture know but our non-ag people seem to think agriculture is rich and ripe. So part of my pulpit in St. Paul is simply pointing out that agriculture today isn’t what it was. They need to understand how much risk there is in production agriculture today. That won’t be easy but that has to happen,” Torkelson said. So what’s likely in the November elections? Nothing in the Senate since it’s not an election year for senators, but the entire Minnesota House gets voted on. “I think we have a great opportunity to recapture the majority. I believe the general voting population likes balanced government. Right now government in Minnesota is unbalanced. The Democrats control both houses plus the governor’s chair. And with Democrats chairing every committee in both houses we’re certainly not a balanced assembly,” Torkelson said. It would take a swing of only eight new Republican members in the House to recapture the majority, he said. See TORKELSON, pg. 23A
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