U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Thursday unveiled new legislation that would authorize a 5 percent annual funding increase over the next five years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With most domestic agriculture research on the decline, the America Grows Act would restore the United States’ commitment to publicly funded agriculture research at USDA. Durbin announced the bill while visiting the Peoria County Farm Bureau Thursday. (NewsTribune)