Richard Guebert, Jr., president of the Illinois Farm Bureau, speaking with reporters/Photo courtesy of the Illinois Farm Bureau

By Todd Wineburner

Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert, Jr., is encouraged by the action of the U.S. House in passing legislation called America’s Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2015. “Once again, the House has voted overwhelmingly to make an important tax provision permanent, and this early action is what our annual meeting delegates wanted to see,” Guebert wrote in a statement released after the vote. “That several hundred Farm Bureau members took time to make contacts to tell their stories really helped drive home the importance and urgency of this issue to our congressional delegation.” Section 179 of the measure specifically addresses agricultural tax credits—credits that are essential to the successful operation of many family farms. Guebert added that he’s hoping that the U.S. Senate takes up the matter in a timely way. Last year’s extension of important tax credits for farmers happened retroactively. Guebert describes that approach as “counterproductive.”