LEGISLATIVE REPORT 

 FROM SPRINGFIELD 



^ {Continued from page 7) 



area. Provision is made that if more 

 than two full townships or 72 square 

 miles are included in the new district, 

 then no more than three board members 

 may be elected from one township. This 

 is designed to provide wide representa- 

 tion on the school board of such district. 

 The lAA supported this legislation 

 and urged the inclusion of the provision 

 for wide representation on the school 

 board. , - .; 



OTHER SCHOOL LEGISLATION 



Legislation was introduced fixing the 

 minimum school term at nine months 

 instead of the present minimum of eight 

 months. About 4,000 rural schools still 

 have less than a nine months school, 

 about 2,000 of them having eight months 

 or less. 



The lAA did not favor the enactment 

 of this bill at the present time and spon- 

 sored an amendment postponing its ef- 

 fective date to July 1, 1949. This amend- 

 ment was adopted but the bill as 

 amended failed to pass. 



A bill was introduced to increase the 

 minimum teachers' salary from $1200 

 to $1800 and another bill to increase 

 the minimum teachers' salary on a grad- 

 uated scale to $1400 to |2200 depending 

 upon the amount of training which the 

 teacher had had. Both bills failed to 

 pass. 



The Association opposed bills to in- 

 clude nursery schools and junior colleges 

 in our public school system and to pro- 

 vide state aid for these schools. It was 

 the position of the Association that un- 

 til the state is able to guarantee a rea- 

 sonable standard for the present grade 

 and high schools, it would seem unwise 

 to assume an additional burden. 



LIVESTOCK DISEASE CONTROL 



Under legislation enacted in 1945, all 

 breeding or dairy cattle more than eight 

 months of age sold in the state must 

 come from abortion-free accredited herds 

 or be tested for Bangs within thirty days 

 prior to the date of sale effective July 

 1, 1947. Legislation was passed extend- 

 ing the period for this test from 30 days 

 to 60 days. 



Under the amended law it is sufficient 

 if the cattle have been tested within sixty 

 days prior to the date of sale except that 

 cattle sold through community sales must 

 have been tested within thirty days prior 

 to sale. 



Also the provision which permitted 

 calves vaccinated against Bangs disease 

 to move freely even though they reacted 



to the Bangs test until they reach the 

 age of 20 months was changed to permit 

 these calves to move freely even though 

 they react to the test up to the age of 30 

 months. Research has demonstrated that 

 many of the vaccinated calves will be- 

 come negative between the ages of 20 

 and 30 months. . > ., 



To serve the livestock industry in mak- 

 ing blood tests, the Department of Ag- 

 riculture was given authority to set up 

 not to exceed five additional laboratories 

 at convenient points in the state. These 

 laboratories are to be in charge of a 

 qualified veterinarian and in addition to 

 making blood tests for Bangs disease may 

 make field diagnosis of animals. 



WEED CONTROL 



In response to requests from a num- 

 ber of counties, legislation was enacted 

 which provides that upon petition to the 

 county board in a county, the county 

 board may create a county weed control 

 department. This county weed control 

 department will be under the direction 

 of a county weed control commissioner. 

 The county weed control commissioner 

 will supersede and replace the township 

 and city weed commissioners. The coun- 

 ty department may acquire spraying 

 equipment and other equipment for the 

 control and eradication of weeds and 

 this equipment may be used upon private 

 lands upon the payment of a scheduled 

 fee. 



Other legislation for weed control per- 

 mits the Department of Agriculture to 

 enter upon premises where Leafy Spurge 

 or Hoary Cress are found and to take 

 whatever measures are necessary to eradi- 

 cate these weeds, prohibits the sale of 

 seed which contains the seed of any of 



Illinois' four dalogotai to rha National 4-H 

 Club camp in Washington, 0. C, ara sliown 

 in Chicago at thay boardod a piano for 

 tha nation's capital. Laft to right: Orvon 

 Potors, Kankalcoa county; Irana Downay, 

 Putnam; Miriam Wrigiay, Paoria; and Loran 

 Nalson, Marshall, 



the primary noxious weeds and limits the 

 amount of weed seed in commercial feed- 

 ing stuffs to 3% by weight and requires 

 these weed seeds in feeds to be treated 

 and rendered incapable of germination. 



VETERINARY MEDICAL COLLEGE 



The Association supported a bill mak- 

 ing an appropriation to the University 

 of Illinois for a veterinary medical col- 

 lege building. An appropriation for this 

 purpose was made in 1945 but the build- 

 ing was not constructed. Approximately 

 200 students are taking pre-veterinary 

 medical courses and the building is ur- 

 gently needed. However, the University 

 of Illinois did not include this building 

 among its first priority group. The bill 

 making the appropriation for the veter- 

 inary medical college was caught in the 

 legislative "jam" at the end of the ses- 

 sion and was not called for passage. 



HOME ECONOMICS BUILDING 



The Association joined with the Illi- 

 nois Home Bureau Federation in spon- 

 soring a bill making an appropriation to 

 the University of Illinois for a home 

 economics building. This bill also was 

 caught in the "jam" at the end of the 

 session and was not called for passage. 



HOSPITAL AUTHORITY BILL 



Legislation was enacted which permits 

 the organization of a hospital authority 

 district upxjn referendum in any area 

 which may desire to set up such a dis- 

 trict. The Association secured an amend- 

 ment to this bill which provides for a 

 separate vote in the rural territory in- 

 volved if 10% of the voters in the rural 

 area sign a petition requesting a separate 

 vote. If a separate vote is had then the 

 proposal must carry both in the rural area 

 and in the urban area in order for the 

 district to be created. 



Other legislation enables the State of 

 Illinois and localities within the State to 

 qualify for assistance under the Federal 

 Hospital Survey and Construction Act, 

 authorized the Department of Public 

 Health to prescribe minimum standards 

 for hospitals qualifying for this Federal 

 assistance and appropriates state funds 

 for matching the Federal funds. 



Even though the appropriation for 

 farm-to-highway roads was reduced by 

 $5,000,000 and the appropriations for 

 the veterinary medical college building 

 and the home economics building, both 

 outside the Governor's budget, failed to 

 survive in the final crowded days of the 

 session and other minor bills in which 

 the Association was interested failed to 

 pass, nevertheless it is thought that the 

 Association was reasonably successful in 

 its efforts before the 65th General As- 

 sembly. 



SEPTEMBER. 1947 



