Here are the Voting Records of ^ \ 

 Issues Affecting Farmers • • 



IN ACCORDANCE with action tak- 

 en by the voting delegates c^ Illi- 

 nois Agricultural Association at an 

 annual meeting several years ago, 

 the Board of Directors has author- 

 i2ed and directed the publication of the 

 following statement, together with the 

 records of the members of the 65th Gen- 

 eral Assembly, as determined by their 

 votes and general attitude on matters of 

 important legislation directly affecting 

 farmers as supported or opposed by the 

 Illinois Agricultural Association. 



The Association was interested in and 

 took a position upon numerous measures 

 of interest to agriculture in the 1947 ses- 

 sion. These included the appropriation 

 of $15,000,000 of state funds for local 

 township and road district roads, school 

 reorganization, state support for schools, 

 permissive township and road district 

 consolidation measures, property tax lim- 

 itations, weed and seed law revisions and 

 other matters. 



For the most part, the legislation fa- 

 vored by the Association was enacted. 

 The appropriations for the veterinary 

 college and the home economics" build- 

 ing at the University of Illinois were not 

 passed and did not reach a roll call vote. 

 Many of the measures of major interest 

 received the unanimous support of the 

 members voting in each house of the leg- 

 islature. 



On other major agricultural measures 

 very few negative votes were cast and 

 none of these votes in opposition to the 

 Association's position were cast by mem- 

 bers from downstate. This resulted in 

 part from the fact that by the time the 

 bills reached roll call stage they had been 

 amended until they were generally satis- 

 factory. The Association opposed some 

 of the amendments adopted but the 

 amendments were not adopted by roll 

 call vote. 



For instance, the Association sought 

 an appropriation of $20,000,000 from 

 state funds for local roads. This ap- 

 propriation was reduced to $15,000,000 

 in the senate but there was no official roll 

 call upon the amendment reducing the 

 appropriation. In view of this peculiar 

 situation, this report is weighted heavily 



Are Your Representatives Interested 

 In the Welfare of Agrkulture? 



VOTE IN THE 

 PRIMARIES APRIL 



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In line with its long-established 

 policy, the lUinoia Agricultural As- 

 sociation publishes herewith the 

 voting records o{ members o{ the II- 

 linoia General Assembly. 



Many of these legislators ore can- 

 didates for office in the primaries 

 on April 13. The Association urges 

 its members to study carefully the 

 information published in this issue 

 of the Record and to actively sup- 

 port for nomination and election 

 those representatives who, by their 

 records, have proved themselves 

 worthy of confidence of farmers. 



Farm people represent only a mi- 

 nority of the population. Only through 

 their united action at the polls, 

 wherein they place the interests of 

 agriculture above parties and per- 

 sonalities, can they hope to main- 

 tain fair representation in lawmak- 

 ing bodies. 



by the general attitude of members to- 

 ward, and the support given the legisla- 

 tive program of the Association, includ- 

 ing support in committees as well as on 

 the floor of the legislature. 



Basis of Report 



This report is based entirely upon the 

 legislator's record and attitude as ob- 

 served in Springfield. The Association 

 has not given and obviously cannot be 

 aware of, or give consideration to, the 

 record or attitude upon local problems 

 which may affect the voters' decision. 



The first column of the report tabu- 

 lated below lists the number of regular 

 sessions of the General Assembly during 

 which the respective members have 



served. The second column carnes the 

 legislative record of the legislators as 

 determined by their votes on agricultural 

 legislation during the last regular ses- 

 sion, together with their general attitude 

 on legislation supported or opposed by 

 the Illinois Agricultural Association 

 throughout their terms of service. 



Ratings Used 



A member, to receive a rating of "Ex- 

 cellent" must not only have a satisfac- 

 tory voting record, but his general at- 

 titude in recent legislative sessions must 

 have been generally recognized as active- 

 ly supporting the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association's legislative program. To 

 achieve an "Excellent" record a member 

 must also have served more than one 

 two-year legislative period and must have 

 taken a favorable position on highly con- 

 troversial legislative proposals. 



First term members, to secure a "Very 

 Good" rating, must have a satisfactory 

 voting record and must have actively sup- 

 ported the Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion's legislative program. This rating 

 is the highest given any first term mem- 

 ber. 



In accordance with the directions giv- 

 en by the delegates of the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Association, members of the As- 

 sociation are advised that all members of 

 the present General Assembly seeking 

 re-election who are rated as "Excellent" 

 or "Very Good" are entitled to supp)ort 

 by all members and friends of the Illi- 

 nois Agricultural Association in the com- 

 ing primary and general election. 



The records of members rated as 

 "Good" are worthy of careful considera- 

 tion in comparison with the qualifica- 

 tions of new candidates seeking office. 



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L A. A. RECORD 



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