Senators Faraci and Rose Speak with Vermilion County Farmers about Pending Legislation, Concerns

When GOP State Senator Chapin Rose and Democratic State Senator Paul Faraci arrived at the Vermilion County Farm Bureau Building for Monday (March 3rd) morning’s annual Legislative Roundtable, one of the first issues that came up was the current Deer Nuisance Bill, which would make it easier for farmers to obtain deer hunting licenses if deer are causing significant damage to their crops.  Senator Faraci says Senator Patrick Joyce is leading the effort on that.

AUDIO: Senator Joyce is spearheading that from our caucus.  And I have good faith that that’s the man for the job, and he’s going to get this corrected.

Senator Rose stated that he and other downstate legislators need to work against what he calls a “war on rural Illinois” going on in Springfield.  And Rose blames the governor.

AUDIO: He took away county zoning of windmills and solar; took away the rights of local citizens to decide what’s going to impact them, locally.  Sitting in Chicago, he doesn’t know anymore than I do in Springfield where the right place to wind or solar is in Vermilion County

One of the on going issues farmers have waited for is an adjustment on the estate tax.  Not just raising the qualifying level from $4 million to $6 million; but as Senator Rose reminded us, also making sure that when you go over the amount; what is taxed is everything from $6 million dollars and up; NOT going back to the first dollar of value.  Senator Faraci says the momentum is building.

AUDIO: I think we’re in better shape this year than we were last year.  We’ve got a lot of people that are very interested in getting this corrected.  Farmers, and the small business owners that they are, deserve this.  And we’re going to do everything that we can to get it done this year.

  Democratic State Senator Paul Faraci (1st Picture) and Republican State Senator Chapin Rose (3rd Picture) were the participants in this year’s Vermilion County Farm Bureau Legislative Roundtable

Rose says pending legislation that would help farmers’ tax bills is his proposal that increases in equalized assessed value (EAV) of property do not go up anymore per year that the rate of inflation.  Rose says the way it is now; taxing bodies put their hands behind their backs without touching the tax levy, rake in loads of money, and pass the blame to the assessor.

AUDIO: Anybody listening to this that pays property taxes knows just how much it’s gotten out of control.  For Danville, for Vermilion County; you know right up against Indiana; the number one problem we have anytime we’re trying to find economic development when they come here; is workman’s comp followed by property taxes.  You know; number one, number two.

Governor Pritzker recently brought up the possibility of all Illinois townships of under 15,000 people being eliminated and phased into their respective counties.  Both Faraci and Rose say that’s not a good idea.

AUDIO: (Faraci) I’m a former township assessor.  So, my heart is with them, and we’ll do everything we can to protect the people that protect us utilizing township government.  (Rose) Because now, instead of having the township road commissioners already on the payroll, he’s already under contract so to speak out there plowing the snow; now you’re going to have to hire someone, pay him prevailing wage, time and half, to show up in the middle of the night to plow snow.  The township is there to support the local folks.  You’re not going to save money doing this, I can tell  you that much.

Another issue the entire area has its eyes on is the pending danger to the Mahomet Aquifer.  Faraci agrees with Rose that there are plenty of other areas for storage of carbon sequestration than right within one of East Central Illinois’ largest water sources.  Faraci says the progress on that project should be stopped dead in its tracks.

AUDIO: There are pipes that are being discussed.  But as far as I know, there is nothing currently built underneath the aquifer that’s going to negatively impact our water; not to my knowledge.  And so we’re going to do everything we can to prevent that from happening.

Senator Rose says he believes that the influence of the Trump Administration pulling back on what he calls misguided environmental initiatives may kill not only the Mahomet Aquifer project, but other nationwide initiatives pushing for things such as quicker development of electric vehicles, and quicker closings of coal fired electric plants.