By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Funds slashed from their budgets will be restored to several agriculture-related groups in Illinois, the office of Gov. Rod Blagojevich indicated last week - though it is unclear whether all of the nearly $40 million stripped from the groups’ FY 2008 budgets would be replaced.

“We understand they are important to their communities, and we support them as well,” said Blagojevich spokesperson Abby Ottenhoff about the University of Illinois Extension, county soil and water districts, Illinois Council for Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR), and other groups facing layoffs and a reduction of programs since the governor announced the budget cuts in early April.

“We’ll release the agriculture grants,” she said.

While that would seem to put an end to the controversy threatening to push the groups to the brink of extinction, some say they won’t believe anything until the funding is in hand.

“There’s a saying that would be apt here with this particular governor and budget team, ‘In God I trust, all others pay cash,” remarked Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn at a news conference shortly after it was announced funding would be restored to the groups.

The state comptroller’s office told RFD Radio on May 1 that they had received no request from the governor’s office to begin preparing checks for the agencies.

“I’ll jump for joy when I see the checks,” said Sen. Deanna Demuzio (D).

Pam Weber, an advocate with Exten-sion Partners, said Sen. John Sullivan (D-Quincy) informed the group that funds would be restored only after Weber and other advocates saw a TV report.
They have heard nothing from the state’s office of management and budget or the governor’s office, she said, adding that a news release announcing the state’s intentions was given only to media and its contents not divulged to the groups affected by the cuts.
“At this time we are cautiously optimistic. We have heard rumors the office of management and budget has started the paperwork, and we hope this in fact is true,” Weber said last week. “We’ve told everyone at the county (extension) offices to sit tight while the whole process takes place, and hopefully the counties will get their money.”

The controversy prompted hundreds, including Weber, to protest the cuts during a recent hearing between the state House and Senate ag committees and Senate appropriations committee held at the state capitol building. Two sisters from a northern Illinois 4-H club told panelists that their chapter would close unless funding was restored. At Quinn’s recent news conference, Natalie Mahler, a resource conservationist with the Grundy County Soil and Water Conservation District, pleaded for funding to be released so she would not lose her job and health insurance. Mahler had just learned that she is expecting.

While the restoration of funds would save hundreds of jobs along with research and education programs vital to many in the agricultural industry, it would only solve the problem for a short period of time. Illinois looks to fill an estimated $750 million hole in its state budget. “We are working on ’09 funding for extension right now,” Weber said.