Bill aimed at helping Illinois farmers control deer populations heads to Pritzker's desk
ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Legislation aimed at making it easier for residents to obtain a hunting permit — and to help control the deer population — has passed both the Illinois Senate and House, and is headed towards the governor's desk.
Under Senate Bill 710, IDNR would implement new rules for the Deer Removal Permit. Landowners would be allowed to let other individuals 'destroy' deer responsible for damage under a permit given to the landowner.
Legislature bumps right up against midnight deadline as they pass $55 billion budget
And, landowner deer and turkey permits could be given for free to an Illinois resident that owns at least 40 acres of Illinois land and that wishes to hunt on their own land. Tenant deer and turkey permits could be given for free to Illinois residents that are living on at least 40 acres of commercial agricultural land, wishing to hunt on land they live on.
The legislation would also allow for permits to automatically be issued, specifically for those who have effectively reduced the deer population, and other certain conditions. You can read more about those conditions here.
Illinois Farm Bureau President Brian Duncan said this legislation will help farmers and address costly damage from deer.
Prosecutors recommend 12.5 years in prison for ex-Illinois Speaker Michael Madigan
'Illinois farmers know all too well the costly damage nuisance deer can cause to crops and farmland,' Duncan said. 'This legislation will provide farmers with effective tools to help manage deer populations and protect farmland across the state. We thank Sen. Patrick Joyce and Rep. Marcus Evans for championing legislation that provides these practical tools, as well as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources [IDNR] for their efforts.'
If Governor JB Pritzker signs Senate Bill 710 into law, it would be effective Jan. 1, 2026. You can read more about the legislation here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
35 minutes ago
Could Musk-Trump feud stoke GOP divisions ahead of midterms? ANALYSIS
Even by the standards of President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk's relationship -- an unprecedented alliance punctuated by a meme-inspired reshaping of the government, numerous rocket launches, assassination attempts, a quarter-billion-dollar political gamble and electric car photo-ops -- it's been an unusual week. For months, Musk had been the closest of Trump's advisers -- even living at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and spending time with the president's family. More recently, Trump gave Musk a congratulatory Oval Office sendoff from his work leading cost-cutting efforts in his administration, giving him a golden key with a White House insignia. But the billionaire's muted criticisms of Trump's "big, beautiful bill" grew louder and more pointed, culminating in posts Thursday on his social media platform taking credit for Trump's November win and Republicans' takeover of the Senate. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," Musk posted. "Such ingratitude." Some lawmakers and Republicans worry Musk's apparent acrimonious departure from Trump's orbit could create new uncertainties for the party -- and stoke GOP divisions that would not serve Republicans well heading into a critical legislative stretch before the midterm elections. The back-and-forth attacks, which continued into the weekend and took a sharply personal turn, reverberated across a capital they have both reshaped. Trump on Friday told several reporters over the phone that he was not thinking about Musk and told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl that Musk had "lost his mind." In the near term, Trump and the GOP are trying to muscle their signature tax and domestic policy megabill through the House and Senate, with the slimmest of margins and no shortage of disagreements. Any shift on the key issues could topple the high-wire act needed to please House and Senate Republicans. A nonstop torrent of criticism from Musk's social media megaphone could collapse negotiations, harden the position of the bill's critics and even undermine other pieces of Trump's first-term agenda. "You hate seeing division and chaos," Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who represents a swing district, told ABC News about the Trump-Musk fracas. "It's not helpful." Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, called Musk a "credible voice" on "debt and spending" issues. "It's never helpful when he says those things. He's a believable person and he has a broad reach, but I think he's frustrated and people understand the context," Arrington said, predicting that both men will eventually resolve their dispute. Republican operatives watching the spat unfold this week told ABC News it is too early to say how the feud between Trump and Musk could affect the next election. The billionaire spent more than anyone else on the last election, pouring $270 million into groups boosting Trump and other Republicans up and down the ballot, according to Federal Election Commission filings. He already suggested he would cut back on his political donations next cycle, more than a year out from the midterm elections. In the final stretch of the 2024 race, he relocated to Pennsylvania, hosting town halls and bankrolling his own get-out-the-vote effort in the critical swing state. Since his foray into Washington, Musk has become a deeply polarizing and unpopular figure, while the president's approval rating has ticked up in some recent surveys. Groups affiliated with Musk spent $20 million this spring on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, only for the liberal candidate to win -- signaling to some Republicans the limits of Musk's political pull. While his support may be missed by Republicans next cycle, Trump has continued to raise millions of dollars to support his future political plans, a remarkable sum for a term-limited president that underscores his central role in the party and undisputed kingmaker status. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who is mulling a gubernatorial bid in 2026, downplayed the tensions or political implications, suggesting that reporters "spend way more time worrying about these things than most average people." "I'm sure they will make peace," Lawler told ABC News on Friday. There were some signs of a détente. While Musk continued to hurl insults at Trump ally and critic Steve Bannon, his social media activity appeared to cool off on Friday, and the billionaire said one supporter was "not wrong" for saying Trump and Musk are "much stronger together than apart." Through nearly a decade in politics and three campaigns for the White House, Trump has demonstrated a remarkable ability to move past disputes or disagreements with many intraparty rivals and onetime critics, including some who now serve in his Cabinet. Now, some Republicans left Washington this week asking themselves if Musk is willing to do the same.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
3 ways Trump's policy bill hurts Tesla
Elon Musk has been feuding with President Trump over a bill the president is championing that, among other things, cuts incentives for electric vehicles and solar energy that benefit Musk's company Tesla. Trump said Musk's vocal opposition to Republicans' 'big, beautiful bill' is based on its elimination of incentives for electric vehicles (EVs). 'Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here. … He had no problem with it,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'All of a sudden he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate, because that's billions and billions of dollars,' he added. While the bill may not be all bad for Musk – including preserving Trump's 2017 income tax cuts – it contains significant provisions that impact Musk's flagship company. It also rolls back green-tax incentives. Since he's stepped away of the Trump administration, the entrepreneur has been a vocal critic of the legislation, including lamenting that 'there is no change to tax incentives for oil & gas, just EV/solar.' While the House narrowly passed its version of the bill in late May, it is facing hurdles in the Senate, where it is so far losing some momentum. Here's a look at the provisions that may be particularly impactful for the company – as well as other electric vehicle and climate-friendly energy companies: One major way in which the 'big, beautiful bill' harms Tesla is by making its cars more expensive. The Democrats' 2022 Inflation Reduction Act lifted a cap allowing manufacturers that had already sold more than 200,000 electric vehicles to once again be eligible for the $7,500 consumer tax credit. It also extended eligibility for the credit through 2032 The bill effectively made the cars $7,500 cheaper for consumers. But, the credits are cut in the GOP's bill. Without that credit, Tesla and other EV makers may make fewer sales. One major hurdle facing the adoption of electric vehicles is that they are oftentimes more expensive than gas-powered cars. However, Musk has contended when he was supporting Trump that he does not need the tax credit. Tesla Energy sells both rooftop solar energy and grid scale solar power – both of which are hampered by the Republican bill. The legislation axes tax credits for rooftop solar after this year. It also eliminates tax credits for any grid scale project that begins construction more than 60 days after the bill is enacted. Projects also need to begin producing energy by the end of 2028 to become eligible. These utility scale cuts are controversial even within the GOP and could face changes in the Senate. The legislation would eliminate a Biden-era regulation that forces the electric vehicle market to shift toward EVs. While Tesla is already all-electric, doing so could still impact its bottom line, as the way the regulations are set up, automakers either have to make their vehicles greener or purchase credits from automakers like Tesla that already outperform the regulations. If the regulation is weakened, traditional car manufacturers may not have to buy as many credits from EV-makers like Tesla. However, it's not clear whether this provision will make it into what's ultimately passed because it will first need to be approved by the Senate parliamentarian, which sets the rules for what types of provisions are eligible in legislation passed through a procedure that requires just 50 votes.
2 hours ago
Former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley eyes GOP Senate run against Jon Ossoff in Georgia
DALTON, Ga. -- Derek Dooley, a former University of Tennessee football coach, said Friday that he is considering a Republican run for U.S. Senate in Georgia in 2026 against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff. The trial balloon shows how Gov. Brian Kemp's decision not to run for the seat has left Georgia Republicans looking for other options to face off against Ossoff, considered the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent up for reelection next year. Dooley, 56, said he would decide on a bid in coming weeks. 'Georgia deserves stronger common-sense leadership in the U.S. Senate that represents all Georgians and focuses on results — not headlines,' Dooley said in a statement. 'I believe our state needs a political outsider in Washington — not another career politician — to cut through the noise and partisanship and get back to real problem solving.' The announcement, first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, came as other declared candidates stumped before the state Republican convention in the northwest Georgia city of Dalton. Among Republicans who have declared their candidacies are U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, Insurance Commissioner John King and activist Reagan Box. Other Republicans who could run include U.S. Reps. Mike Collins and Rich McCormick, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and state Sen. Greg Dolezal. Attacks on Ossoff were among the most reliable applause lines during Friday afternoon speeches at the convention. 'Folks, President Trump needs backup, he needs backup in the Senate,' King said. Dooley has never run for office before. His appeal wouldn't be based on his career 32-41 record at Louisiana Tech and Tennessee, but his status as the son of legendary University Georgia coach Vince Dooley and Kemp's long ties to the Dooley family. As a teenager, Kemp was a frequent guest in the Dooley home, and roomed with Derek's older brother, Daniel Dooley, at the University of Georgia. Kemp has the most effective Republican political organization in Georgia, and he would likely give Dooley a big credibility boost. Kemp and President Donald Trump have been trying to agree on a mutual candidate to back for Senate in 2026, hoping to avoid the conflict that plagued Kelly Loeffler's unsuccessful run, where she lost to Democrat Raphael Warnock in a 2021 runoff. That, along with Republican David Perdue's loss to Ossoff on the same day handed control of the U.S. Senate to Democrats. Trump had preferred then U.S. Rep Doug Collins instead of Loeffler. Then in 2022, Trump anointed Georgia football legend Herschel Walker as the Republican nominee, but Warnock turned back Walker's flawed candidacy in another runoff. Kemp only swung in to help Walker in the runoff. The effort to screen 2026 candidates has already produced some results, with U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene saying she wouldn't bring her right-wing positions to the Senate campaign trail. Dooley would be far from the first sports figure to run for office. His father was frequently discussed as a possible candidate, but never took the plunge. But other coaches have gone far. Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville was elected to the Senate in 2020 from Alabama and is now running for governor. Former Ohio State University coach Jim Tressel is currently that state's lieutenant governor. And University of Nebraska coaching legend Tom Osborne served three terms in the U.S. House. Dooley walked on in football at the University of Virginia and earned a scholarship as a wide receiver. He earned a law degree from the University of Georgia and briefly practiced law in Atlanta before working his way up the college coaching ladder, becoming head coach for three years at Louisiana Tech and then moving on to Tennessee. Dooley recorded three consecutive losing seasons in Knoxville before he was fired in 2012 after losing to in-state rival Vanderbilt. After that, he has worked as an assistant coach for the NFL's Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys, the University of Missouri and the New York Giants. Most recently, Dooley was an offensive analyst with the University of Alabama.
