St. Clair County members talk farm bill, E15 with Duckworth

St. Clair County Farm Bureau members recently met with U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth to discuss pressing issues including the need for a farm bill, Proposition 12 fix, year-round E15 and expansion of ag trade markets.

“One of the most immediate things that we can do that is already well on its way is the year-round sale of E15,” Duckworth, D-Hoffman Estates, told RFD Radio Network’s Jim Taylor following the March 30 meeting. She discussed her work with Sen. Debbie Fischer, R-Neb., on getting legislation passed for nationwide year-round E15 sales.

“Deb and I have reintroduced it. We’re going to do everything we can to get this passed. I think we now have good, strong bipartisan support, and we’re going to be able to have year-round sale of E15, which is going to be good for our farmers,” Duckworth said.

Duckworth also joined fellow Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, and John Thune, R-S.D., in leading a bipartisan group of colleagues in asking President Donald Trump to permit the year-round sale of E15 through the summer of 2025.

“Currently, the eight Midwestern governors’ petitions to sell E15 year-round has allowed for an agreement between both ethanol and petroleum stakeholders in support of a permanent legislative solution to allow nationwide, year-round E15 sales. In the interim, taking action to permit the sale of E15 nationwide during the 2025 summer driving season also will be beneficial for consumers, the domestic energy industry, and agricultural producers,” according to the April 3 letter. “And to ensure nationwide uniformity in the gasoline market, we urge you to apply the temporary emergency waivers to E15 in all states as well as to E10 in the eight states who petitioned EPA to opt out of the RVP waiver program.”

Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency upheld a previous rulemaking allowing year-round E15 sales in eight Midwest states, including Illinois, starting April 28.

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