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Rep. Linda Upmeyer (R-Garner) is one of three Republican legislators who plan to formally introduce a bill to benefit beginning farmers this week. Because the bill will include tax breaks, it is not subject to the funnel week deadlines.

Upmeyer joined with junior Representative Pat Grassley (R-New Hartford) and Rep. Jeff Kaufmann (R-Wilton) to sponsor the bill which takes aim at both the cost associated with becoming a farmer and motivating women and minorities to enter farming. In total the bill would allow extended relatives of farmers (not just children) to avoid inheritance tax for family farms; all for tax exemption of a new owner agrees to crop-share with a beginning farmer; provides $5 million in property tax credits for beginning farmers; and offers $25,000 to create a program encouraging women and minorities to enter farming as a profession.

The section which deals with outreach to women and minorities is credited to Upmeyer. "We sometimes forget that young women can be young farmers," she said.

While the three legislators have not expressed a great deal of hope for the bill's passage in such a minority hostile climate, they also believe the values projected in the bill are bipartisan and good for Iowa.