Grainnet

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed legislation recently to help the Illinois Soybean Association operate more efficiently and effectively.

Sponsored by Rep. Dan Reitz (D-Sparta) and Sen. John Sullivan (D-Quincy), House Bill 601 amends the Soybean Marketing Act and will result in the consolidation of two separate boards serving soybean producers into one.

This will cut out repetitive practices and help the board better serve its constituents Currently, the two boards have a total of 37 members, 18 on one and 19 on the other.

The new board will operate as "The Illinois Soybean Association" and will be comprised of 1 member from each of 18 geographic districts and 6 elected "at large" for a total of 24 on the combined board.

The new structure assures geographic representation throughout the state and is expected to create savings and make better use of the volunteer board’s time.

The bill goes into effect on January 1, 2006. “More soybeans are grown and harvested in Illinois than in any other state so it is our responsibility to protect the interests of the producers in every way we can,” said bill sponsor Sen. Sullivan.

more GRAIN NEWS...