Page 21 2024 Logan County Spring Farm Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS March 2024 entity or a prohibited foreign party owning agricultural land shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class 4 felony punishable by not more than 2 years imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections or a $15,000 fine, or both. Creates the Office of Agricultural Intelligence within the Department of Agriculture to collect and analyze information concerning the unlawful sale or possession of agricultural land by prohibited foreign parties and administer and enforce the provisions of the Act.” In a January 18, 2024, Lincoln Daily News press release, Senator Turner said, “The agricultural industry is the backbone of our state’s economy, and we must take decisive steps to ensure its sustainability.” Additionally, Senator Turner said, “Those steps begin with my new legislation, which directly addresses legitimate concerns surrounding ownership of farmland by individuals from a hostile nation and the impact of that ownership has on our national security.” Senate Bill 2668 has drawn inspiration from “successful bipartisan laws in California and Arkansas [and] aims to alleviate farmers fears that land acquisitions by foreign nations and investors may inflate farmland prices and pose a potential threat to national security.” Currently, there are 24 other states which “have passed similar legislation to mitigate the risks associated with the purchase of farmland by foreign entities that may jeopardize national security.” The bill is a measure that Senator Turner said, “safeguards our crucial agricultural resources.” She added, “Failing to implement policies to conserve our state’s greatest asset now could leave us vulnerable to potential threats in the future.” Senator Turner hopes her legislation will spark a broad and constructive discussion among lawmakers regarding the state’s commitment to the welfare of its agricultural industry and the overall security of the nation. Where the bill is at now Senator Turner said currently, the legislation has been referred to Senate Assignments. The next step would be for the bill to be assigned to a Senate Committee for a future hearing. The initial deadline for Senate Bills to get out of Committee was Friday, March 15. If the legislation did not passed out of Committee by that deadline, [the senators] have the option to file an extension. Though the legislation is still in its early stages, Senator Turner said, “I am hopeful that this legislation will be taken up for consideration this spring. It should be a bipartisan issue.” This legislation has been passed in several other states already. Senator Turner notes, “Nearly half the states in the nation have Continued --
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