Illinois State Senator Patrick Joyce received the ethanol award from the IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA) at the group’s annual meeting on November 21, 2023, in Bloomington.

Senator Joyce sponsored a bill including ICGA’s top state priority: passage of an E15 tax incentive. The bill was signed into law on June 7, 2023.

The ethanol incentives established in SB 1963 (Public Act 103-0009) reduce the percentage of retail sales tax on E15 blends by 10 percent, reduce mid-range blends by 20 percent, and reauthorize the 100 percent reduction of sales tax for majority blended ethanol fuels (E-85). The tax incentives will sunset on December 31, 2028.

“This is just a win-win situation for our state,” said Sen. Joyce. “It helps farmers by increasing corn demand and supports our environment by incentivizing the usage of cleaner-burning fuels.”

Senator Joyce has a 25-year history of successfully operating his own small business and family farm. In addition to agriculture, he brings a focus on health care, the environment, and education to the Senate. His top goals include making the health care system easier to navigate and more supportive for individuals and families suffering from serious illness, ensuring that everyone has access to clean and affordable drinking water, and reducing class sizes throughout the state.

“Senator Joyce is one of the only members of the Illinois General Assembly with firsthand knowledge of the agriculture industry,” said ICGA President and Fairfield, IL farmer Matt Rush. “We are so grateful for his leadership on ag issues, and for his leadership specifically on this tax incentive that will support markets for Illinois family farmers for years to come.”

Sen. Joyce represents Illinois’s 40^th Senate district including a majority of Kankakee County, some of Will County and some of Grundy County.