ILLINOIS CORN GROWER S ASSOCIATION Political Papers J U N E 2 0 1 3 CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR June 3-28—Session THE UPDATE ON E15 IN ILLINOIS July 8-Aug 2—Session August—IN DISTRICT The Illinois Corn Growers As- ing fact sheets on E15 to the Sept 9-20—Session sociation is in support of General Assembly weekly. We “Consumer Fuel Choice for are reminding them that ethanol Sept 30-Oct 11—Session Illinois,” a state bill that rede- means jobs, an investment in rural fines “gasohol” in Illinois statute. Illinois, savings for consumers at Oct 22-30—Session Right now, “gasohol” is defined the pump, and a renewable, envi- Nov 12-21—Session as 10% ethanol and 90% gaso- ronmentally friendly product. line, but with the allowable You can help. Call your member Dec 2-13—Session blend of ethanol moving to 15% of the General Assembly to tell per the USEPA, we need to them that you support Consumer update this definition. Fuel Choice and would urge them Of course, moving anything in to vote “yes.” the current Illinois political cli- Once passed, E15 can enter into mate is difficult. the Illinois marketplace. Throughout May, ICGA is send- GENERAL ASSEMBLY CALENDAR Jan 9-May 31—Legislative WRDA MOVES IN THE SENATE Session Washington, DC officials tell us Amendment, is expected to be grades. Everything being left at that a Water Resources Develop- offered to the WRDA bill that status quo, LaGrange Lock ment Act will pass during this includes federalizing Olmsted and would not be upgraded until Illinois Corn Growers session of Congress, giving IL increasing the rehab threshold 2070, when it would be well Association Corn and other cooperators an from $14 to $20 million. These over 100 years old. PO Box 1623 opportunity to pass reform to the are key aspects of Casey’s RIVER Additionally, ICGA hopes for an Bloomington, IL Inland Water Trust Fund and to Act that ICGA supports. increase in the barge fuel tax that 61702-1623 increase the barge fuel tax to Regardless of how these particu- will increase the money flowing allow more funds for upgrades to lar bills play out, what ICGA into the Inland Water Trust occur. P: 309-557-3257 hopes for is an end to the funding Fund to ultimately fund more F: 309-827-0916 As of this writing, the Senate is from the Inland Water Trust upgrades up and down the Mis- debating a WRDA bill (S601) and Fund (a fund paid into by river sissippi and Illinois Rivers. www.ilcorn.org may consider a RIVER Act bill users) going towards Olmsted. Turns out, the drought did have (S407) introduced by Senator Bob The Olmsted Lock and Dam is a [email protected] a silver lining—low water on the Casey. The RIVER Act includes project that has extended well Mississippi that made headlines recommendations of the Capitol past its proposed end date with early in the year caused many Development Plan which ICGA major cost overruns. If river members of Congress sit up and has championed for years. users are expected to continue to take note of how vital the system pay for Olmsted, there will be no An amendment, the Managers is and what the U.S. stands to money left for other river up- (Continued on page 3) P A G E 2 MAKE THE MOST OF AUGUST RECESS Make the most of your August will listen. And they will re- 3. All of the sudden you are recess by seeing your Con- member you when they vote. someone who is political- gressman or Senator while he ly active and a thought- or she is near your hometown. Especially after you’ve met and leader in your area. You If possible, request a face-to- made a connection with your might be influencing face visit with your him or her. member, make appearances at votes. You are someone Congressional staff report that town halls and candidate ap- to pay attention to. face-to-face lobby meetings pearances in your hometown. have the biggest impact of any When your member of Con- You can definitely amplify your advocacy strategy on members gress sees you out and about, connection with policymakers of Congress. it accomplishes three things: by attending town hall meet- ings and other public events. Remember, your member of 1. It reminds them of you, Congress works for you. If who you are and the Need help making a connec- you talk to them, share your story you shared with tion? ICGA can help you personal story, help them un- them. make appointments and con- derstand life on the farm, what tributions this August. Give us you are worried about and 2. It strengthens your con- a call! what they can do to help, they nection with the member. A MORE ACTIVE ICGA PAC Your Illinois Corn PAC contin- Cong Mike Quigley - $1000 ship positions, vote along with ues to become more and Cong Brad Schneider - $1000 NCGA and ICGA positions, more involved and active. and are responsive and availa- Supporting our Illinois delega- To date, the ICGA PAC has ble to Illinois farmers. If you would like to tion financially makes us an focused on Chicagoland mem- We look forward to new rela- important part of their team bers in 2013. tionships and open doors with receive this and someone to come to with The ICGA PAC formula values our Illinois delegation. newsletter questions about agriculture members that hold key leader- and advice about issues that electronically to save effect us. printing costs, please So far in 2013, ICGA PAC has contributed the following: email your request to Cong Peter Roskam - $5000 [email protected]. Cong Bill Enyart - $2500 Cong Bill Foster - $2500 Cong Bobby Rush - $2500 Cong Dan Lipinkisi - $2500 Cong Danny Davis - $2500 Cong Rodney Davis - $2500 Cong Cheri Bustos - $2500 Cong Tammy Duckworth - Pictured: Dave Loos, Jim Rapp, Congressman Bill Foster, Aron Carl- $2000 son, Ted Mottaz, Stefan Mueller during the ICGA March lobby visit Cong Jan Schakowsky - $1500 to Washington, DC. Cong Luis Gutierrez - $1000 POLITICAL PAPERS J U N E 2 0 1 3 P A G E 3 more … WRDA MOVES IN SENATE (Continued from page 1) to let them know that you support lock lose without it. and dam upgrades on Illinois Senator Dick Durbin has the Mississippi. Help gotten involved in the issues fol- them justify making lowing the low water scare in Janu- this a priority issue in ary and continues to be a leader in the 113 session of the Senate for reform and river Congress. system upgrades. If you’d like to see new locks and dams in your lifetime, consider getting involved in this issue. Call In 2012, ICGA visited the Olmstead Lock & Dam, still under construction. Paul Taylor Senator Durbin and Senator Kirk and Jeff Scates discussed the completed lock, still lacking a functional dam, that will CHANGING LEGISLATIVE CLIMATE Passing a Farm Bill has grown more More than half of all Americans, while the Asian population more and more difficult over the years. 55%, live in cities with a population than tripled. In the last census, the Like many other federal programs, of 1 million or more. White share of the population had it has grown larger, more compli- fallen to 79.6%, while the Black America has long been the world’s cated and more expensive. It has population edged slighter higher to melting pot. A beacon for freedom grown far beyond the traditional 12.9% of the country. Asians, the and greater economic opportunity, agriculture and commodity support fastest growing immigrant group, the nation has long attracted immi- programs we associate with a Farm were 4.6% of the population. Of grants from every corner of the Bill. Food stamps, and similar nutri- this population, those indicating world. For much of our history, tion assistance programs, now Hispanic origin is 15.8% overtaking this mass migration originated in account for 80% of the half-trillion blacks as the nation’s second larg- Europe. In the later part of the 20th spending in the 2012 Farm Bill. est minority group. Century, immigrants from other Indeed, the chief obstacle to pass- parts of the world flocked to our Looking ahead to projec- ing a Farm Bill last year was disa- shores. tions over the next few greement over how much spending decades suggests these de- in these programs could be re- In 1940, the American populace mographic trends will only duced. The debate over the 2012 was 89.8% white and 9.8% black. increase and again reshape Farm Bill, then, was really not All other races, including Asian and the population. By 2050, the about the farm. Hispanic, were grouped in an nation’s population will be “Other” category and accounted Therein lies a deeper, existential 70.8% white, 14.4% black, for just 0.4% of the population. challenge for supporters of any 9.6% Asian (including 27.9% His- Over the next three decades, the Farm Bill and American agriculture. panic origin). At current trends, population was largely unchanged, America’s societal, economic and sometime before the end of this with Whites 87.5% of the popula- political landscapes have changed century, Asians will likely overtake tion, Blacks 11.1%, and Other 1.4%. radically in the past 100 years. A blacks as the second biggest minor- nation founded by a largely agrarian The next three decades would ity group. society has morphed into a nation witness a dramatic shift in the na- Republicans win overwhelmingly of city-dwellers.