HR0658 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0658 LRB093 20515 KEF 46310 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, It has come to the attention of the Members of this Body that the Illinois Farmers Union is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Farmers Union is an affiliate of the Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America, chartered on August 12, 1954, for the purpose of accomplishing tasks that are impossible to accomplish on an individual basis; and

WHEREAS, Some of the goals of the Farmers Union are: to strengthen family farms and prevent the exodus of farmers from the land; to gain economic justice for farmers; to give farmers a voice in shaping the world in which they live; to improve standards of living for all people; to create a peaceful world; to promote agriculture as the No. 1 industry in Illinois; to promote the use of agricultural products and value added products which will utilize the labor and natural resources of Illinois; to develop a tax system which does not put the entire burden of funding education on property owners; to lobby for legislation which is good for rural Illinois and against legislation that our members feel is detrimental to agriculture and to the rural population of Illinois; and to promote policies which will encourage family farmers to remain on the land and preserve our most valuable natural resource - the capacity to produce food; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Farmers Union has contributed to the farming community in many ways, including: getting the number of farm vehicle plates allowed increased from two to five; helping to establish the Agri-Chemical Fund and staving off a 2% tax on farm chemicals and fertilizers; relieving the liability of directors and officers of soil and water districts for damages in the performance of their jobs; allowing electric and telephone cooperatives to keep excess income payments owed to members who can't be located; working for the passage of legislation that extends the sales tax exemption to ethanol producers and encourages motor fuel distributors to expand their use of gasohol so that, by 1997, 50% of all motor fuels sold in Illinois will contain ethanol; and working for the passage of legislation that prohibits the misrepresentation of the effect of the use of gasohol on motor vehicles; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the members of the Illinois Farmers Union on their 50th anniversary, wish them success in reaching their future goals, and commend them for the service they have provided to the farming community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Board Chairman Larry Lieb and President David Fredrickson.