LaFontaine Has Bill Signed Into State Law

State Rep. Andrea LaFontaine, who represents Chesterfield Township, New Baltimore and nearby communities, joined Gov. Rick Snyder Tuesday to have her first bill signed into state law.

LaFontaine, R-Richmond, authored the legislation meant to encourage farmland preservation by offering farmers a discounted repayment on  liens to the state, according to her office.

"Farmers and farmland are the backbone of our state and its heritage," she said in a prepared statement Wednesday. "This bill is a win-win for farmers and fiscal responsibility. Not only does it protect our precious farmland, but it also makes a fiscally responsible reform to the PA 116 program that has helped countless farmers preserve valuable land."

The new law is meant to give farmers incentive to "pay more quickly if they are able, which will help the state collect payments against the liens in a more expeditious manner," her office stated.

Ken DeCock, chairman of the Macomb Agricultural Purchasing Development Rights Committee, said, "LaFontaine's bill creates the incentives we need to pay back our credits quicker, and keep the land we work, love and own."

LaFontaine is a member of the House Agriculture Committee.