A bill that passed unanimously in the Illinois Senate, and now goes to the House, would allow the Illinois Department of Agriculture to license farmers to grow industrial hemp.
The Illinois Stewardship Alliance and Illinois Farmers Union initiated this bill, and have collaborated with the Illinois Environmental Council and Illinois Farm Bureau in a coalition of farm and environmental interests to bring hemp back to Illinois.
Bill aims to give communities a voice during EPA permitting process
Lawmakers that are pushing for this bill say it’ll give people more of a say on how facilities are handling pollution in their communities. However,