Date:
3/4/2010 12:00:00 AM
Title:
HB-1293 Complete Bill Rewrite Approved
Cattlemen’s Association Membership Heard
on HB 1293 – Complete Bill Rewrite Approved
Bill Sponsors: Representative Massey
CCA Position: OPPOSE SUPPORT
The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association’s late Past President Nate Patton spent numerous months in Denver working to educate legislators, assessors and agency officials about the need to tax agriculture producing lands differently than residential property. Nate’s legacy and efforts came alive in CCA’s membership recently when the legislature was contemplating a process that could have undone much of this effort and jeopardized one of our industry’s most protected laws.
In its previously-opposed form, HB-1293 would have created a legislatively-motivated task force that would have determined what is best for the entire agricultural industry as they deliberated and sought to conclude what “bona fide agriculture” was for the purposes of taxation. Through negotiations with the bill sponsors, CCA was able to return the focus of this task force to “land use” rather than what the individual who owns the land’s net worth might be.
CCA does not support developing public policy of this magnitude under the threat of legislation. Therefore, the new version of the bill will NOT require legislator participation and will NOT allow for any bills to be reported out by the task force.
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Currently Supported
HB-1293 Version
|
Previously Opposed
HB-1293 Version
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| Does NOT allow for any bills from the task force. |
Allowed for five bills from the task force. |
| Limits discussion to land use as current law intends. |
Allowed discussion about landowners & their income. |
| Does NOT seek to define "bona fide agriculture". |
Sought to determine who and what agriculture is. |
| Limits discussion to land used for ag AND residential. |
Unfettered consideration of topics. |
| Does NOT include mandatory legislator participation. |
Required four task force legislator participants. |
The CCA membership’s recognition that good public policy is developed in an open; well-thought-out process made HB-1293’s amendment possible. The CCA board will make recommendations for the task force’s agriculture producers who own or lease lands that are assessed as agriculture for taxation purposes. These task force members, along with association members and leadership, will protect the integrity of our industry’s property taxation and seek to find solutions, if needed, to enhance the law.
To review the bill’s amended language, please visit the committee’s reference report here.
For more information please contact:
Terry Fankhauser, EVP Colorado Cattlemen’s Association at (303) 431-6422