Legislative Priorities

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Our overarching goal is to promote policy that drives corn demand, as demand will ultimately help family farmer profitability.

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IL Corn Growers Association Priorities

As your advocate on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. and at the state capitol in Springfield, IL, all legislative priorities pursued by the IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA) begin with your influence. Our 4,000 members actively contribute their perspectives, ensuring a voice for Illinois corn growers. The agenda is shaped by you.

ICGA’s legislative process starts at the grassroots, with members sharing concerns through meetings and surveys. Top issues are elevated to the Board, which sets annual priorities each November. Members are encouraged to share these priorities with elected officials to show how they impact Illinois corn growers.

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State Priorities

  • Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program

    • ICGA supports the investment for existing fuel dispensing and tank infrastructure that needs upgrades to support higher blends of renewable fuels. The proposal awards grants from existing industry funds to incentivize upgrading the infrastructure for cleaner biofuels.

  • Support Family Farm Preservation Act

    • ICGA supports the reforms to the Illinois Estate Tax and provide tax relief for Farm Families. Updates policy language to reflect modern farm estates and farm family descendants. 

  • Continued funding for NCERC & Expansion

    • ICGA crafted the idea of the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) in 1996 and has supported the facility since its creation in 2003. ICGA prioritizes continued funding for NCERC in FY2025.
    • State funding for NCERC expansion would increase the opportunities for research and development of corn to ethanol and ethanol to additional fermentation to bio-chemicals. 

  • Support additional funding for conservation programs

    • ICGA supports programs that support Illinois’s Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS). ICGA supports targeted progress for NLRS.
    • ICGA is invested in ensuring farming is sustainable and profitable for generations to come. As farmers feel the pressure from low commodity prices and high input costs, support for the implementation of conservation practices is needed.

  • Issues We're Watching

    • Wetlands
    • Make America Healthy Again (MAHA)
    • Nutrition Programs
    • Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (Clean Transportation Standard)
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Federal Priorities

  • Lock and Dam Funding

    • ICGA supports dam features of inland waterways system Major Rehabilitation projects be excluded from cost-sharing with the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF).

  • Farm Bill

    • ICGA continues to advocate for a five-year farm bill after multiple extensions to the 2018 legislation. Our members’ top priorities include recalibrating crop insurance program and creating more flexibility in the United States Department of Agriculture’s conservation programs.
    • ICGA supports a mandatory base acre update to preserve a level playing field for farmers across the U.S.
    • ICGA supports a strong, bipartisan coalition for farm and food policy.

  • Renewable Fuels

    • ICGA supports high octane fuel legislation to allow higher blends of ethanol in the marketplace. 
    • ICGA supports policy to strengthen the usage of biofuels in offroad transportation sectors, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and maritime. 

  • Enforceable Trade Deals

    • ICGA supports the development and implementation of comprehensive, enforceable trade deals. Within those deals, ICGA supports the furthering of science- and risk-based decision-making, enhancing meaningful market access, and lowering of non-tariff trade barriers.

Are you a member and have feedback for us on your priorities or how it's impacting your farm? E-mail us. Not a member and want to join in the conversation and let us save your seat at the table?

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NEWS

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What’s at Risk if USMCA Isn’t Enforced or Renewed

By Lyndi Allen • February 11, 2026
USMCA is known for being a trade success story for the various beneficial pathways that it provides for North Americans, which is why it must be fully enforced and renewed on time.
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IL Corn Announces 2026 State and Federal Legislative Priorities

By Lyndi Allen • February 4, 2026
IL Corn Announces 2026 State and Federal Legislative Priorities. ICGA is advocating for demand growth and family farm profitability to create a successful future for Illinois farmers.
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USCMA = Protecting Corn’s Top Export Markets

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Megan Dwyer Testifying in DC
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Mission: Through grassroots advocacy, create a future for Illinois farmers in which they can operate freely, responsibly, and successfully.