East Central Reporter

Senator Jason Plummer shared a victory - passage of a bill allowing counties to lease farmland for profit, in a July 31 Facebook post. 

"I'd like to thank my friends on both sides of this thorny issue for coming together and finding a mutually agreeable solution to a problem facing over 40 Illinois counties. When reasonable people sit down, talk, and work hard for the common good...good things can happen, even in Illinois!"

Jason Plummer joined the Illinois Senate in 2019, He was elected to represent the people of the 54th Senate District. Outside his legislative work, Plummer is the vice president of R.P. Lumber and R.P. Home and Harvest, family-owned and operated businesses with over 100 locations throughout Illinois and six other states.

In his Facebook post, Sen. Plummer shared a link that led to a Ford County Chronicle article that focused on the passage of House Bill 1076, which was sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker on June 22, the article said. 

The bill was inspired by concerns of Kirk Allen and John Kraft, who had questions about whether or not cash-rent leases for farmland were a constitutional practice. Cash-rent lease agreements put the entire operation into the farmer’s hands, and the farmer pays the county per acre for renting the land.

House Bill 1076, sponsored by Rep. Lance Yednock in the House, says that “notwithstanding other specified county property leasing provisions, upon a three-fourths vote, the county board may lease farmland acquired or held by the county for any term not exceeding five years.” 

The bill allows the farmland to be leased to private or public entities “for the public purpose of financially supporting the operations of the government at any time or times and on any terms and conditions that the county board deems best for the interest of the county, including, but not limited to crop-sharing arrangements.” 

The bill was sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker on June 22, but the legislature’s page on the bill does not show that Pritzker signed it.

In his Facebook post on July 31, Plummer said this: "I was proud to sponsor this bill in the Senate and work with many good people to get it passed. There is no doubt room for further improvement, let's keep working on this issue. I hope Governor JB Pritzker signs the bill and helps take this cloud off our small counties and the ag community."