Guebert: Stay safe — and vote

Harvest is coming to an end, and so is election season on Nov. 3. For Farm Bureau, election season means Friend of Agriculture presentations around the state.

County Farm Bureau leaders are working nonstop to get the word out to vote “no” on the Progressive Income Tax ballot question.

Election season can prove heartburn for people, but it is vital to our democracy. Here are a few mentionable items.

Ballot Question

Illinois Farm Bureau urges a “no” vote on the Progressive Income Tax. The General Assembly is asking you to vote on an open-ended question allowing them free rein to modify the tax rates of smaller classes of individuals.

Our members, through Illinois Farm Bureau policy, have purposefully stated that higher marginal income tax rates are inconsistent with economic growth on the federal level and the same reasoning can be applied on the state level.

Last year, our delegates discussed state income provisions and reaffirmed our support for a flat income tax. Do not let the state try and fix a financial mess by creating yet another financial burden on the citizens of Illinois.

Friends Of Ag

We have several Friends of Agriculture recipients who understand the important role agriculture plays in Illinois. The legislators designated as Friends of Agriculture have shown they support the farmers of their district.

The future of agriculture depends on making sure our Illinois congressional delegation and the Illinois State General Assembly have "friends" who support agriculture. To learn more about our ACTIVATOR program, check out www.ilfbactivator.org.

We pride ourselves on building relationships with leaders who are at the forefront of key issues impacting agriculture, both on the state and federal level. Our history is deep in addressing issues that impact Illinois agriculture and working with whatever party is in office to make sure agriculture’s voice is heard.

Livestock Grants

Before Oct. 31, please make sure and check out the business interruption grant available to Illinois livestock producers who were impacted by last spring’s supply chain disruption.

We appreciate the collaborative efforts by Director Jerry Costello and the Illinois Department of Agriculture staff to coordinate assistance for Illinois livestock producers with the newly announced program.

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity was instrumental in obtaining the $5 million program to assist our livestock producers and meat processors.

This program will lend additional support in recovering from the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19. The online application is available online until Oct. 31. For more information, please email covid19@ilfb.org.

Illinois Farm Bureau is working to improve the economic well-being of agriculture. We want all elected officials, regardless of party affiliation, to understand Illinois agriculture.

Stay safe — and exercise your right to democracy with a vote on or before Nov. 3.

Richard Guebert Jr. is the president of Illinois Farm Bureau. His family farm in Randolph County grows corn, soybeans and wheat.