Recently, Illinois Field & Bean magazine spoke with select federal and state legislators to learn more about their motivation for supporting agriculture and their plans for assisting Illinois farmers. Here’s what they had to say:

Representative Nikki Budzinski

Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-13)

Q: Why are you excited to serve on the Agriculture Committee?

When voters in the 13th District selected me to bring their voices to Washington, I immediately got to work to secure committee assignments that would give our communities a valuable seat at the table. I’m proud to be a member of the House Agriculture Committee to serve family farmers across Central and Southern Illinois. On the committee, I’m focused on reaching across the aisle to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports rural communities and the agricultural economy that powers our state.

Q: What policy or initiatives have you worked on or are planning to work on that support Illinois farmers?

I’ve heard from farmers how difficult it can be to access capital, especially for new and beginning farmers. I introduced the bipartisan Increasing Land Access, Security & Opportunities Act to provide greater loan access and support services for land acquisition and farm improvements. I also formed a bipartisan Agriculture Advisory Council to hear directly from Illinois farmers. Last year, I hosted USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to discuss Illinois’ needs. Additionally, I’m advocating for a sound crop insurance program, including improved loss ratios and risk management for midwestern soybean growers. Over 90 percent of farms in my district are family farms, relying on crop insurance as their primary safety net. In Congress, I focus on revitalizing rural America, supporting biofuels, protecting the farm safety net and helping young farmers.

All in all, I’m a tireless advocate of Illinois’s farming interests. I’ve advocated for updated loss ratios, a more equitable and accurate base acre allocation, improving pathways for new and beginning farmers to access credit, funding for research activities – especially at our land grants like the University of Illinois, trade opportunities through MAP and FMD, and domestic market creation through a strengthened bioprocessing sector.

Representative Eric Sorensen

Representative Eric Sorensen (D-17)

Q: Why are you excited to serve on the Agriculture Committee?

Illinois powers the world with corn and soy. But farming today comes with new challenges. Due to extreme weather, rising input costs and a volatile global market, it’s difficult to farm the same land today that families have farmed for generations. I am proud to be our farmers’ trusted voice in Washington to make sure they have the resources they need to be successful.

Q: What policy or initiatives have you worked on or are planning to work on that support Illinois farmers?

My top priority is delivering a bipartisan Farm Bill that strengthens crop insurance, supports climate-smart agriculture and makes all of our communities more sustainable. We must ensure our farmers have the resources they need to thrive and lower costs for American families.

Agriculture, family farming and soy are not just part of our lives, they are the fabric of our being. As the farmer’s trusted voice in Washington, my job is to fight for the more than 6,000 family farms in my district. We take pride in what we do, even if the big cities like Chicago and Washington don’t understand us.

State Representative Jason Bunting

State Representative Jason Bunting (R-106)

Q: Why are you excited to serve farmers and represent agriculture?

I am a sixth-generation farmer hoping to be raising that seventh generation. Experience is the greatest teacher there is. I have spent a lifetime on the farm, gaining experience and knowledge that have been invaluable to me as a legislator.

Q: What policy or initiatives have you worked on or are planning to work on that support Illinois farmers?

I am a co-sponsor of HB4600, which was introduced by a group of bipartisan lawmakers to reform the estate tax on farms by raising the exclusion amount from $4 million up to $6 million. We need to reform or eliminate the estate tax and keep farms and businesses in the hands of the families who built them. Reforming the estate tax for farms is only one step toward the reform that Illinois needs.

As somebody that has sat on both sides of the desk, once as a strong advocate for agriculture and now as a state legislator, it is extremely important for your voice to be heard in regard to legislation that will affect your livelihood.

State Representative Sharon Chung

State Representative Sharon Chung (D-91)

Q: Why are you excited to serve on the Agriculture Committee?

Our community is a mix of metropolitan and rural areas. What makes the 91st District so special is that rural lifestyles and farming specifically can’t be separated from the metropolitan areas of the district. Our restaurants and stores are filled with local produce and many of the families in our district have ties to farming. Serving on the Agriculture and Conservation Committee allows me to bring the voices and perspectives of my neighbors into the state house.

Q: What policy or initiatives have you worked on or are planning to work on that support Illinois farmers?

This past session, I worked extremely hard to try and pass the Family Farm Preservation Act (FFPA) to raise the threshold that family farms would need to pay on the estate tax. This is something that was brought up by many people in the 91st District. It is important to me that we ensure that our family farms don’t need to sell off portions of land to stay afloat. While we were unable to make the FFPA happen this session, it is at the top of my priority list for next session.

It is an honor to be included in this magazine, and I look forward to working with the agricultural community throughout Illinois to improve our state.

Senator Michael Halpin

Senator Michael Halpin (D-36)

Q: Why are you excited to serve farmers and represent agriculture?

As a State Senator representing a heavily rural part of western Illinois, I see every day the deep impact farming and our farm families have on our economy, our communities and our way of life. Farming is a large part of the very fabric of our success in western Illinois.

Q: What policy or initiatives have you worked on or are planning to work on that support Illinois farmers?

I am proud to work closely with our farmers on policies that support their success. I sponsored a law last year (SB 765) that eases the financial burden on farm mutual insurance companies to ensure thousands of farmers have critical protections when disaster strikes. I have opposed carbon capture legislation that puts farmlands at risk, and I will continue to advocate for the Family Farm Preservation Act that will help shield farm families from devastating estate tax costs when ownership changes hands through generations.

One of my top priorities as a state legislator is supporting farmers and farm families because they work so hard to support and feed all of us. I am proud to work with the Illinois Soybean Association and other organizations advocating for farmers in Springfield, and I look forward to building on our accomplishments to help this industry thrive for many years to come.

Representative Gregg Johnson

Representative Gregg Johnson (D-72)

Q: Why are you excited to serve farmers and represent agriculture?

Agriculture is the foundation of the Illinois economy. It feeds millions of people and creates sustainable jobs right here in our state. It also has a tremendous downstream economic impact. My district is the home of John Deere, and the thousands of people that work manufacturing jobs here depend on a vibrant agricultural economy. The same is true for so many districts and industries in Illinois. I am excited to serve and support farmers in Illinois as a partner and ally in Springfield so that together, we can build prosperity for all Illinoisans.

Q: What policy or initiatives have you worked on or are planning to work on that support Illinois farmers?

Last session, I sponsored a Biodiesel Usage Incentive bill (HB4906) that would better incentivize municipalities to shift their automotive fleets to use more biodiesel. This fuel is produced domestically here in Illinois and reduces our reliance on fossil fuels, which is good for farmers and the environment alike. I am excited to work with farmers and agricultural advocates to ensure that agriculture is a core part of Illinois’ economic development agenda.

Agriculture is one of the most important things that Illinois does – it powers our economy and literally puts food on our families’ tables. A strong agricultural economy is a necessary, foundational part of Illinois’ past, present and future. Simply put, farmers are the bedrock on which the Illinois economy is built.