The Illinois Farm Bureau Board of Directors has approved state legislative initiatives for the new year that will benefit Illinois farmers.
2022 State Legislative Priorities:
• Seek to maintain Illinois’ current tax policies that provide economic stability for the agricultural industry including the agricultural sales tax exemptions for seed, feed, fertilizer/chemicals, and equipment.
• Work to maintain adequate state funding for key Illinois Department of Agriculture programs like meat/poultry/egg inspectors, environmental programs, warehouse oversight, and veterinarian programs. This includes advocating for a viable and independent Illinois Department of Agriculture.
• Seek $750,000 in additional appropriations to the Illinois Department of Agriculture to better prepare for Mass Animal Infectious Disease Prevention.
• Maintain a balanced process for siting livestock farms through the Livestock Management Facilities Act (LMFA) that protects both the environment and farmers’ ability to raise livestock.
• Support legislation limiting liability on agritourism for inherent risks.
• Support protecting the private property rights of farmers during the installation, maintenance, and upgrading of current utilities.
• Seek to create the use of E-15 and B-20 in the general marketplace.
• Support the creation of Illinois Industrial Biotech Partnership Act.
• Support a requirement for the development of a comprehensive agricultural drainage plan for farmland where surface or subsurface agricultural drainage will be impacted from the construction, maintenance, or deconstruction of a renewable energy project or other utilities.
• Educate members of the General Assembly on the importance of the Farmland Assessment Law.
• Build a strategy to explore the political viability of allowing associations in Illinois to offer member health benefit plans.
