More than 100 members of the Illinois Pork and Illinois Beef Associations are meeting with state lawmakers for their Annual Legislative Day in Springfield, Illinois today. Executive Director Jim Kaitschuk of Illinois Pork tells Brownfield the number one focus for the legislature is the continuing budget deficit that’s also a concern to producers who believe some cuts are necessary. And, Kaitschuk says, “I think one of the keys is, most people would probably be willing to do some sort of a revenue enhancement if you could make sure that that actually went towards paying the deficit and not create new programs.”
Kaitschuk says producers have also been watching closely after last year’s introduction and subsequent failure of a bill to ban gestation stalls in the state, “Fortunately, to this point, in the approximately 35-hundred to 37-hundred bills that have been introduced in the General Assembly that version has not made it out there yet.”
And in an election year, he says it’s not likely to come up. He says Illinois ag groups remain vigilant in heading off any and all threats from animal rights activists.
AUDIO: Interview with Jim Kaitschuk, Executive Director, IL Pork Association (7 min., MP3)
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