The Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn May 31.  From now until then they will release new legislative district maps, propose a state budget and deal with hundreds of pieces of legislation that are still moving through the process.  One of those bills is SB 2010, which is legislation that IFCA initiated to privatize the Fertilizer Research & Education program to protect it from constant fund sweeps.  SB 2010 has the support of all the Illinois ag organizations as well as all of the Illinois environmental organizations and it passed the Senate unanimously.  We'll be working diligently to get it passed through the House.  We will let you know when to contact your state representative to support SB 2010. Earlier in the year there was an effort to pass a bill that would sunset the tax exemptions on farm chemicals and farm machinery.  It was defeated but we remain every watchful of the budget process and will remain vigilant in protecting these exemptions which are critical in the food, fiber and fuel manufacturing process.