In this issue:
- Bill would ban commonly-used agricultural herbicide
- Nonpartisan budget analysis paints different picture than the Governor
- Meeting with ALOT class
- Welcome Paige and Ainsley
Bill would ban commonly-used agricultural herbicide
Legislation has been introduced in the House which would ban the sale and use of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, better known as 2,4-D, a commonly used agricultural herbicide.
This is an inexpensive herbicide used in production agriculture, but it is also used by local highway departments to control invasive weeds. Unlike some other chemical compounds, 2,4-D is a systemic herbicide which kills most broadleaf weeds, but most grasses such as cereals, lawn turf and grassland are relatively unaffected by its use. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “2,4-D products can be safely used by following label directions.”
Banning the use of this herbicide would have a negative effect on farmers and on local governments. The bill is opposed by numerous farm groups as well as business and municipal governments. However, the legislature needs to hear from individual citizens who will be affected by this change. If you are a farmer or a local resident who uses 2,4-D, you can file a witness slip with the Energy and Environment Committee before it considers the bill, possibly as early as next week. Click here to find out how. The legislation is House Bill 1645.
Nonpartisan budget analysis paints different picture than the Governor
Last week Governor Pritzker delivered his State of the State address and presented his proposed budget for the fiscal year which begins on July 1. The Governor proposes to spend $55 billion, more than any other budget bill in Illinois history.
But finding the funds for all this spending might turn out to be harder than the Governor thinks, based on a report from the state’s nonpartisan fiscal watchdog agency, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA).
That agency’s economic forecast for the state, prepared in cooperation with Moody’s Analytics, showed a long-term underperformance by Illinois compared to other states when it comes to economic growth, job creation and reduction of unemployment. Much of the state’s revenue comes from income and sales taxes, and other economic activity. So if the state keeps driving jobs away with bad economic policies, money for more spending programs is going to be harder to come by.
The trends which CGFA identified showed Illinois trailing behind the nation as a whole, and losing jobs in fields like manufacturing and information technology. These trends are helpful in making projections about what kind of economic conditions the state can expect to have as it makes budgets in the future.
The job trends spotted by CGFA suggest the state will have lower payroll tax receipts, both in the short term and long term. Lower cash flow means less money available for balancing the state budget. Proposing even more spending under these conditions is not a wise move. Last year the Governor and legislative Democrats balanced their big-spending budget with a nearly $1 billion tax increase. Is history about to repeat itself?
Meeting with ALOT class
I was very excited to meet with the 2025 Illinois Farm Bureau ALOT class at the Capitol recently with Reps. Dan Swanson and Norine Hammond.
This is a full circle moment for me as I am a proud 2008 graduate of the ALOT program. This program is an extensive leadership development program. The experiences gained from the ALOT program are invaluable!
Thank you for meeting with us!
Welcome Paige and Ainsley
On Wednesday I was glad to welcome two local students to the Capitol to serve as House pages for the day.
Paige Miller is a sophomore at Iroquois West High School and Ainsley Urban is a junior at Watseka High School. Over the course of the day, they got to meet with members of the legislature, see the House of Representatives in action and explore our state Capitol building.
Paige is active in Iroquois West’s marching and jazz bands, and the concert, chamber and jazz choirs. She has a lead role in the school’s upcoming musical SpongeBob, and participates in scholastic bowl, track and golf.
Ainsley participates in FFA at Watseka, she also plays softball and golf, is a member of the National Honor Society. She is on the school’s math team and is active in Key Club and her church.
It was great to have both students visit Springfield to see the House of Representatives this week!
Our current bill backlog
When a vendor provides the state with goods and services, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes the paperwork and pays the bill when funds are available in the state’s checking account. Currently the total amount of unpaid bills is $1,995,427,725. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $1.2 billion in bills awaiting payment. This only includes bills submitted to the Comptroller for payment, not unfunded debts like the state’s pension liability, which is well over $100 billion.
Illinois headlines
Fraud-related losses skyrocket for Illinois investors
Alleged fentanyl-smuggling immigrants lead police on dangerous cornfield chase in Grundy County
Illinois students will now be required to take the ACT test instead of the SAT
Illinois State University earns higher learning commission reaccreditation
Illinois Products Expo returns to state fairgrounds this weekend