A delegation of McLean County Farm Bureau staff, four local mayors and two township supervisors traveled to Springfield April 26 to testify in opposition at a House Committee hearing on SB 684 – a bill to expand the Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority to include all of rural McLean County.
Todd Zalucha, Mayor of Heyworth, and Anna Ziegler, McLean County Farm Bureau Assistant Manager, spoke in opposition at the hearing. Oral testimony requests filed by three other opponents were not granted time to speak.
McLean County Farm Bureau would like to thank Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur), Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) and Rep. Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville) for voting no at the committee hearing.
We also appreciate four of the five state representatives who represent parts of McLean County for signing onto a letter of opposition: Rep. Dan Caulkins, Rep. Dennis Tipsword (R-Metamora), Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton) and Rep. Jason Bunting (R-Emington).
Unfortunately, SB 684 was recommended by the committee on a party line vote. At the time of publication, SB 684 had not yet been scheduled for a floor vote in the House.
The bill was introduced by Sen. David Koehler (D-Peoria). The bill passed the Senate March 29. Sen. Sally Turner (R-Lincoln) and Sen. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City), who represent much of rural McLean County, both voted no.
If the SB 684 passes the House and is signed into law by the governor, the newly formed Central Illinois Regional Airport will have the authority to levy taxes on rural residences and farmland in McLean County. For more information and a link to check the bill status, visit mcfb.org/airport.
