Illinois beef producers will vote in February to reinstate the voluntary, state beef checkoff. page 2
Farmers can comment on the new Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy until Jan. 24. page 3
Visit FarmWeekNow.com for news updates and videos from the Illinois Farm Bureau annual meeting in Chicago.
Future not clear House OK’s Section 179, fee hike on minimum wage Monday, December 8, 2014
BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek
Periodicals: Time Valued
State lawmakers concluded last week’s veto session without passing legislation to raise the minimum hourly wage, despite voters passing an advisory referendum to do so in the general election. Although discussions occurred, Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, announced Tuesday the House would take no action to increase minimum wage, according to Kevin Semlow, Illinois Farm Bureau director of state legislation. The House cancelled Thursday’s session and adjourned “sine die” Wednesday, meaning it would not return for any additional legislative days in the 98th General Assembly, Semlow added. On a 39-18 vote, the Senate passed legislation that raises the minimum hourly wage to $9 on July 1, 2015, and increases the wage by 50 cents annually up to $11 per hour on July 1, 2019. The bill also includes a tax credit equal to the difference between the current $8.25 rate and the increased minimum wage for businesses employing 50 or fewer employees. Finally, the bill preempts home rule authority –- except Chicago’s passage of a $13
Three sections Volume 42, No. 48
minimum wage by 2019. “Future direction on the minimum wage issue is not yet clear,” Semlow said. “Because the House adjourned sine die, it cannot return in a regular or lameduck session to consider the Senate’s minimum wage legislation. “There has been some talk about Gov. Pat Quinn calling the House into a special session,” he continued. “IFB has been working in a coalition with other business groups to oppose an increase in the minimum wage.” IFB, working with the other groups, successfully avoided possible lawsuits for farmers, according to Bill Bodine, IFB associate director of state legislation. Rep. Elaine Nekritz, DNorthbrook, proposed an amendment that would have eliminated a 10-year window for finding of an injury, disease or disability resulting from any discharge of “any pollutant, including waste, hazardous substance, irritant, or contaminant, including but not limited to smoke, vapor, soot, fumes, acids, alkalis, asbestos, toxic or corrosive chemicals, radioactive waste, or mine tailings” related to oversight, involvement, planning, or management of construction or an improvement to real property. The broad amendment might have meant farmers could be subject to lawsuits from any involvement in or observation of any construction projects or improvement to real property where any possible discharge may have occurred, Bodine said. As originally proposed, the amendment could have included work on livestock See Wage, page 2
BY DEANA STROISCH FarmWeek
The U.S. House of Representatives last week approved two priority issues for Illinois Farm Bureau — extending expired tax provisions and increasing the barge diesel user fee to pay for waterway improvements. Both still require action by the Senate. Farm Bureau officials, who have lobbied Congress to take action on the issue, said they were pleased with the House’s action. IFB President Richard Guebert Jr. renewed calls for action on both issues last week, writing to members of Illinois’ congressional delegation. The House’s approval of the one-year, retroactive extension of expired tax provisions came after President Barack Obama threatened to veto a deal to make the tax breaks permanent. H.R. 5771 calls for extending Section 179 small business expense deductions at the $500,000 level through the end of the 2014 tax year. “While we are disappointed that negotiations broke down on a longer-term tax deal, we are pleased the House voted to extend Section 179 for this year at a much higher expensing level than we would have had,” Guebert said. “We are urging Congress to act early next year on a
tax bill that would permanently extend this valuable provision.” The deduction limit was set at $250,000 in 2008 and 2009, and at $500,000 from 2010-13. It dropped to $25,000 this year – — and will remain at that level unless Congress acts. Meanwhile, the House voted 404-17 to increase the barge diesel user fee by 9 cents to 29 cents per gallon. The increase was included Richard Guebert Jr. as an amendment to H.R. 647, The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014. It was proposed by Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla. If approved by the Senate, the fee increase would go into effect April 1. It could generate an estimated $27 million to $36 million a year. Agricultural groups have been pushing for years to increase the barge diesel user fee, which funds the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. “Boosting the user fee from 20 to 29 cents per gallon of diesel fuel would help begin the long overdue process of modernizing locks on the Illinois River and Upper Mississippi,” Guebert wrote to lawmakers last week.
TALKING TOY TRACTORS
Dave Copple of Hanna City, left, shows some farm toys to Bryson, Nolan and Troy Wagenbach of Princeville. Copple organized and hosted the Peoria County Farm Bureau toy show during the 33rd Greater Peoria Farm Show last week. The county Farm Bureau director started buying toy farm equipment in 2000. See Peoria Farm Show stories on pages 4-5. (Photo by Cyndi Cook)
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