East Central Reporter

Chris Miller, a state representative for Illinois House District 101, said that Governor J.B. Pritzker should consider reducing funding for illegal immigrants instead of the cover crop insurance subsidy. He made this comment in a Facebook post on March 31.

"Despite rising demand, Pritzker has proposed a 31% funding cut for cover crop insurance in Illinois when he should cut funding for illegal immigrants," said Miller, according to Facebook.

Capitol News Illinois shared a report from Investigate Midwest on the same day, highlighting Governor Pritzker's plan to cut cover crop subsidy funds by more than 30% in the 2026 budget, despite increased demand for the program. According to the report, planting cover crops in the fall helps reduce farm fertilizer runoff into the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The report also notes that in 2019, Illinois began offering farmers a subsidy through the Fall Cover for Spring Savings program, which provides a discount on crop insurance for those who plant cover crops each fall. The proposed 2026 fiscal year budget allocates $660,000 for the program, down from $960,000 in the current fiscal year.

Screenshot of State Representative Chris Miller's March 31 Facebook post | State Representative Chris Miller's Facebook page

The Cover Crop Premium Discount Program is administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA). It offers a $5 per-acre discount on next year's crop insurance for every acre of cover crop enrolled and verified in the program. According to IDOA guidelines, farmers applying must maintain documentation on what has been seeded and follow recommendations from the Midwest Cover Crop Council’s Cover Crop tool to qualify for the subsidy. There is no limit to the number of acres a farmer can apply for in this subsidy program, provided those acres are not enrolled in another state or federal program.

The proposed Fiscal Year budget includes this cover crop insurance program under the general fund. According to official documents, the enacted appropriation for fiscal year 2024 was $660,000, with actual expenditures totaling $654,900. In 2025, appropriations increased to $960,000 and were fully expended. For fiscal year 2026, it is proposed that appropriations return to the 2024 level of $660,000.

Miller has served in the Illinois State House of Representatives since his election in 2019. A native of Illinois, he operates as a third-generation cattle farmer and grain operator in Hindsboro. He holds an associate degree in agriculture from Lake Land College and a Bachelor of Science in Education.