Minnesota Session Laws - 1987, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1987 

                        RESOLUTION 1-S.F.No. 95 
 A resolution memorializing Congress to immediately 
adopt the "Save the Family Farm Act" or similar 
legislation to meet the catastrophe striking American 
farmers and the farm economy. 
    WHEREAS, 650,000 farmers have been forced out of business 
in the past six years; and 
    WHEREAS, 95,000 main street businesses including 2,000 farm 
implement dealers have closed their doors since 1981; and 
    WHEREAS, 55,000 farm implement manufacturing workers have 
been permanently laid off in the past 5 years; and 
    WHEREAS, 403 banks, primarily rural banks, have been closed 
since 1981; and 
    WHEREAS, farm prices have fallen to their lowest level in 
15 years and farm exports have dropped by almost 40 percent 
falling from $44 billion in 1980 to $26 billion in 1986; and 
    WHEREAS, taxpayers' costs for farm programs have increased 
five fold from $6 billion during the 1970's to over $30 billion 
in 1986; and 
    WHEREAS, farm assets, primarily land, have fallen $250 
billion in the last five years, an average loss of $139,000 for 
every U.S. farmer.  In 1981, farm assets exceeded the $1 
trillion national debt while today's $2 trillion national debt 
is two and one-half times the value of farm assets; and 
    WHEREAS, current programs have idled 50 percent of U.S. 
farm land in 1983 and 35 percent in 1987 while encouraging 
production in other years thus creating havoc for 
agribusinesses; and 
    WHEREAS, consumer prices have continued to increase despite 
dramatic drops in farm prices; and 
    WHEREAS, more than 10,000 Minnesota farms have been 
permanently wiped out in the past four years according to the 
United States Department of Agriculture; and 
    WHEREAS, at least one-third of Minnesota's remaining 
farmers are suffering severe financial stress; and 
    WHEREAS, a fair price for farmers is the only real true 
solution for agriculture, Minnesota's largest industry; and 
    WHEREAS, a fair price for Minnesota's farmers would bring 
at least $1 billion of new income into Minnesota since much of 
Minnesota's farm production is sold out of the state and out of 
the country; NOW, THEREFORE, 
    BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota 
that Congress should immediately pass the "Save the Family Farm 
Act," or similar legislation that will restore profitability to 
agriculture by paying farmers a fair price for their product, 
save taxpayers over $20 billion per year by eliminating all 
government subsidies, and will maintain export markets through 
the use of bonus bushels. 
    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Minnesota Secretary of 
State transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the 
United States, the President of the United States Senate, the 
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the 
Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the United States Senate, the Chairman of the 
Committee on Agriculture of the United States House of 
Representatives, and the Minnesota Representatives and Senators 
in Congress. 
    Approved February 4, 1987