Swedzinski bill to aid butcher shops receives House hearing

Legislation Rep. Chris Swedzinsk (R-Ghent) authored to help Minnesota butcher shops grow their businesses and meet surging demand for local meat recently cleared its first House committee hurdle.
Swedzinski’s bill (H.F. 1591) would provide tax exemptions for capital investments butchers make in their business. He said the idea is to help smaller shops, mainly in Greater Minnesota, upgrade their equipment or conduct modifications when a change in ownership happens.
“With COVID and the skyrocketing meat prices earlier this spring because of the large producers’ shutdowns across the Midwest, we really saw a squeeze on local butcher shops,” Swedzinski said. “This sales tax exemption will help businesses expand their operations, grow and replace older equipment. We really feel this is going to not only be a help to agriculture, but to our small cities and towns and help our struggling businesses continue to compete.”
Swedzinski said his bill received a warm reception from the House committee on taxes. It remains viable for passage this session as a component of a larger tax package.