By State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper)
Protecting Hoosiers from adversarial nations has been a top priority of mine in recent years, especially with the increase in Chinese ownership of the American food supply we've seen in recent years.
That's why in 2022, I authored Senate Enrolled Act 388 to cap the amount of agricultural land any foreign business entity could acquire in Indiana to 320 acres for crop farming and 10 acres of timber production.
This year, the General Assembly built upon the 2022 law by passing House Enrolled Act 1183 to prevent individuals from countries the U.S. Department of Commerce defines as adversarial states from obtaining any farmland in Indiana. This list includes Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba.
The new law also prohibits companies from adversarial nations identified by the governor from purchasing any land within a 10-mile radius of military bases throughout the state.
Allowing our nation's adversaries to purchase farmland in Indiana poses a risk to our food supply, and food security should be prioritized at all levels of government.
Our state's natural resources and fertile farm ground have led to Indiana being the seventh largest agricultural exporter in the country, and we must do everything we can to protect the industry from adversarial influences. That is why I have supported these laws in recent years, and will continue to look for ways to protect Hoosier property.
House Enrolled Act 1183 has been signed by the governor and will go into effect on July 1.
Constituents can reach out to me with any questions or concerns they may have by filling out a "Contact Me" form on the IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Messmer website or by phone at 800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) represents Senate District 48, which
includes Crawford, Dubois, Gibson, Perry, Pike and Spencer counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
