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Illinois budget woes could impact ag

The director of governmental affairs and commodities with the Illinois Farm Bureau says the state’s looming budget issues could impact agriculture.

Kevin Semlow tells Brownfield, “The biggest problem they got is their revenue projections are about $3.2 billion below what they anticipated on their tax revenues,” he says.

He says underperforming sales tax revenues could not only lead to budget cuts, but also a potential repeal of tax breaks for farmers.

“One of those, of course, is the ag sales tax incentive for feed, seed, fertilizer and equipment.”  He says, “We also have our biodiesel fuel and our E85 sales tax incentives.  Those things would be on the table, and we’ll probably have to battle those.”

Semlow says the Illinois General Assembly is expected to reconvene for a short lame duck session before the 104^th General Assembly is sworn in on January 8^th.  He expects much of the budget discussion to take place in the spring legislative session. 

AUDIO: Kevin Semlow – Illinois Farm Bureau