Committee passes rollback-tax repeal after heated debate over farmland protections

The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee advanced legislation eliminating rollback taxes on property removed from the Greenbelt program after a prolonged exchange among members over potential impacts to farmland and county revenues.

Sponsor Representative Ripp Butler argued the bill protects private-property rights and clarified who bears the rollback liability. "The farmer is the one that pays the rollback tax unless it is contractually shifted to the buyer," Butler said, adding that many counties collect only small amounts annually and that the penalty is often incorporated into sales. The proposal passed to the Finance Committee on a 9–6 vote.

Opponents warned the change could accelerate loss of farmland and questioned the bill’s backers. Representative Jones, who said he had received constituent complaints, suggested the measure disproportionately reflected outside interests: "I believe that this is a developer handout... we see Americans for Prosperity and corporate lobbyists," Jones said. Butler responded that he wrote and carried the bill himself and that support or opposition from outside groups was beyond his control.

Members also discussed technical details of Greenbelt eligibility raised during the hearing: several members referenced a 15-acre threshold for traditional Greenbelt eligibility and noted that the open-space clause can protect smaller parcels (members cited a 3‑acre option under open-space). Lawmakers asked how rollback revenues are treated in county budgets and whether removing rollback receipts could create local fiscal pressure; sponsors said rollback collections go into county general funds and are variable by county.

The committee record shows the chair opened a roll call and the clerk reported "9 ayes, 6 nays," sending HB1846 to Finance for further consideration.