ALBANY – A group of state Senate Republicans along with a member of the Independent Democratic Conference have rolled out a package of proposals they say will boost the state’s agriculture industry.
The most significant proposals in the “Grown in New York” agenda include a 2 percent cap on annual property tax assessments on farms and a rejection of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s desire to extend the current 18-a energy tax. The group explained that agriculture is a $5.2 billion industry in New York and farmers should be getting more assistance from the state.
The lawmakers said they hope various programs will receive increased funding — from incentives for biofuels to additional support for a program that helps farmers retrofit tractors to prevent rollovers. The didn’t have hard numbers on how much the new spending would cost in total.
It’s unclear how many of the elements of the package are likely to make it through the Democrat-controlled Assembly and end up in the 2013-14 state budget. Lawmakers are required to approve the spending plan by April 1.
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