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Farm Bureau Legislative Priorities for 2022

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.