View from the Cab: Issues take center stage

By Kent Casson

Issues impacting farmers and those across Illinois took center stage during the recent Livingston County Farm Bureau Legislative Breakfast in Pontiac.

State Rep. Dennis Tipsword from the 105th district noted 4,009 draft bills were drafted on the House side so far this year. More than 600 have been assigned to committees.

“It’s kind of a slow process,” explained Tipsword.

Tipsword encouraged the public to sign and send witness slips to legislators. He is disappointed that the Family Farm Protection Act was assigned to a subcommittee and never got called and moved.

“I know there’s a lot of support behind it.”

Senate Bill 2150 is a nuisance deer bill which is waiting but has been signed over to appropriations. House Bill 1873 changes what a navigable waterway is. People often think of rivers when hearing this but it changes the parameters to any recreational watercraft.

“This is clearly a swipe at taking your property and letting anybody across the state use it,” notes Tipsword.

Eminent domain issues seem to keep surfacing, including broadband installation.

“Our property seems not to mean our property anymore.”

State Rep. Jason Bunting, representing the 106th district, restressed the importance of providing witness slips. He said House Bill 2827 puts guidelines and regulations on those who homeschool children.

According to Bunting, in order to “fix” Springfield, they have to shine a light on issues. He said the state is in need of ethics reform and getting the budget balanced.

“We absolutely have a spending problem,” observed Bunting. “We are sitting with a $3.2 billion deficit right now.”

Bunting also detailed the Navigable Water Bill as “throwing property rights out the window.” There is a also a proposed ban on 2,4-D which is a popular herbicide which is accurate and cheap.

“They are coming after rural Illinois,” said Bunting.

Bunting is also concerned over funding cuts to Soil & Water Conservation Districts.

“We don’t spend one minute trying to move the state of Illinois forward.”