FB ACT: Making Political Contacts

Your voice was heard on the transportation issue!

Thank you to each of you that have voiced your concern and shared your story on the impact of the proposed transportation regulations!  It was your engagement on this issue that led to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announcement on May 3 that many more Illinois farmers qualify as "intrastate" carriers under the rebuttable presumption policy.

There are three destinations where farm commodity deliveries will automatically be considered interstate commerce under this policy:

• Deliveries during which the farmer crosses a state boundary;
• Deliveries to a river terminal; and,
• Deliveries to an intermodal facility (generally, a container loading/shipping facility.)

In these cases-and possible others analogous to them-the farmer knows or should reasonably assume, that the commodities will be shipped out of state.  A single instance of any one of these scenarios will trigger the "interstate" carrier status for the farmer.

For more information on this issue, visit the "IFB in Action" article.

Department of Labor Youth Labor Regulations Withdrawn

Great news!  On April 26, the Department of Labor withdrew the entire proposed child farm labor rule!

This victory is a result of your efforts!  All of your comments and contacts to your elected officials over the past several months paid off.   We appreciate the administration's wise decision, the efforts of many members of our congressional delegation, but most importantly, all of your outstanding work on this issue.   This did not happen by accident.  Thank you!

To view a copy of the news release, click here.  

Preserve Waters of the U.S. Legislation

EPA has proposed a Guidance Document  to the Clean Water Act (CWA) that attempts to establish regulatory control over virtually all waters.  The document will expand EPA's authority beyond what congress authorized it to do in the CWA and is contrary to limits imposed by the Supreme Court.  Congress has specifically chosen to limit EPA authority by keeping "navigable" in the CWA.

Farm Bureau believes that CWA authority should be limted to navigable streams and flowing waterways that have continuous flow.  This document is much more than "guidance" and will function like a regulation because it will be used to bind the actions of the agencies and public.

S. 2245 (Preserve Waters of the U.S. Act) has been introduced to stop the Environmental Protection Agency and Corp of Engineers from issuing final guidance that would significantly expand the regulatory reach of the two agencies.  Farm Bureau supports this legislation.

Videos Show How Easy It Is

Three to four times a year, Illinois Farm Bureau asks members to call legislators about a critical issue. But if you've never called a politician's office, it can be intimidating. IFB created a video to show you how surprisingly easy it is to make the call.

IFB's Young Leaders understand that it is important to them, too. That's why they grabbed a Flip cam and made their own video! 

Now that you know how easy it is to make the call, shouldn't you be signed up to receive action alerts? Join the FB ACT team today!