McLean County Times

Legislation has been introduced in the Illinois House to ban the sale and use of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, commonly known as 2,4-D. This herbicide is widely used in agriculture and by local highway departments for weed control. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that "2,4-D products can be safely used by following label directions." Opponents of the bill include farm groups and municipal governments who argue that a ban would negatively impact farmers and local governments. Citizens affected by this potential change are encouraged to file witness slips with the Energy and Environment Committee before it considers House Bill 1645.

Governor Pritzker recently presented his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, amounting to $55 billion, marking a historic high for Illinois. However, a report from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA) suggests that funding this budget may be challenging due to Illinois' economic underperformance compared to other states. The CGFA's analysis indicates declining job trends in sectors like manufacturing and information technology, which could result in lower payroll tax receipts and less available cash flow for balancing the state budget.

Representative Bunting met with the 2025 Illinois Farm Bureau ALOT class at the Capitol alongside Reps. Dan Swanson and Norine Hammond. Bunting expressed enthusiasm about this meeting as a former graduate of the ALOT program, highlighting its value in leadership development.

Two local students were welcomed to serve as House pages at the Capitol: Paige Miller from Iroquois West High School and Ainsley Urban from Watseka High School. Both students engaged with legislators and explored state government operations during their visit.

Currently, Illinois faces a backlog of unpaid bills totaling $1,995,427,725 submitted to the Comptroller for payment. This figure excludes unfunded debts such as pension liabilities exceeding $100 billion.