BY HANNAH SPANGLER
The Family Farm Preservation Act (FFPA) remains a priority for Illinois Farm Bureau, taking center stage during Illinois Agriculture Legislative Day April 9.
To help the FFPA cross the finish line, IFB President Brian Duncan, Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities Kevin Semlow, Director of State Legislation Chris Davis and Associate Director of State Legislation Mark Raney met with Illinois House leaders, including Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, and Speaker of the House Emanuel Chris Welch, D-Westchester. While in Springfield, Duncan also had the chance to discuss the FFPA with Gov. JB Pritzker.
“We're an industry that has $200 billion in economic output. The cost of this Family Farm Preservation Act, we estimate to be about $20 million a year. That seems to be a very small price to pay, in the whole scheme of things, to keep farms in families,” Duncan said of the message IFB brought to the Statehouse.
State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, told RFD Radio Network’s Jim Taylor that Illinois is one of only 12 states to have a regressive state tax. The FFPA, if adopted, would create a $6 million true exemption to the estate tax for family farms, which Chesney described as a “step in the right direction” for Illinois farmers.
“We will continue to press forward in calling for members of the General Assembly to pass the FFPA,” Duncan noted. “I am very optimistic that the Governor, Speaker Welch and Leader McCombie know the importance of what this means for the future of family farms in Illinois. I was pleased to hear each of them acknowledge the importance of addressing this issue in the coming weeks of the General Assembly session.”
Although building momentum for the FFPA was a primary focus of IALD discussions, IFB also met with Illinois House representatives to talk about nuisance deer issues and private property rights. Additionally, Duncan, Semlow, IFB Director of Commodity Programs and Food Systems Tasha Bunting and Economic and Policy Analyst Raelynn Parmely met with representatives from the British Consulate General to discuss the future of trade relations between Illinois and the United Kingdom.
With so many important issues affecting Illinois farmers, Duncan shared that now is a crucial time for farmers to share their stories with legislators to ensure their voices are heard as policies advance in the General Assembly.
“That's what the organization is all about,” Duncan said. “At the county Farm Bureau level, getting out and telling those stories and sharing that with the people that make policy and pass laws in the state.”
Content for this story was provided by FarmWeekNow.com.