Legislation prohibiting the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) from enacting certain policies related to the mowing of highway ditches cleared the full Senate on Thursday. The bill, Senate File 218, prohibits MnDOT from requiring, issuing, or enforcing permits to mow or bale hay in the highway rights-of-way until April 30, 2018.

“I join my neighbors in rural Minnesota in applauding the Senate’s support of this bill,” said Sen. Gary Dahms (R-Redwood Falls), the bill’s chief author. “There has been a lack of communication and foresight from MnDOT on the rollout of this policy. Farmers and landowners have been mowing and baling these ditches for years. The sudden change in policy is costly, inconvenient, and comes without input from those whom it affects.”

This legislation comes in response to a surprise policy shift from MnDOT, altering requirements for the mowing and baling of state highway rights-of-way, and prompting significant criticism from rural Minnesotans. The agency’s policy requires, among other things, landowners to apply for permits to mow state highway rights-of-way.

“Establishing a moratorium will allow policymakers and the other stakeholders to work with MnDOT on finding a common sense approach to move forward,” Sen. Dahms continued. “We have the opportunity to do the right thing in getting folks together to work this out.”

Senate File 218 passed the full Senate on a 47-20 vote, garnering broad, bipartisan support. It will now go to conference committee, where differences with the House version will be vetted.

Sen. Dahms is in his third term representing Senate District 16, which includes communities in Brown, Lac qui Parle, Lyon, Redwood, Renville, and Yellow Medicine counties. He also serves as chair of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy Committee and is an assistant majority leader.