At the end of May, legislators in Springfield were able to preserve the biodiesel sales tax exemption, in what the top leader of the soybean association says will help farmers all across the state.

Senior Director of Government Relations for the Illinois Soybean Association Mike Levin said the tax exemption exempts about 13 cents a gallon on diesel fuel when blended with 11% biodiesel.

Levin added that the biodiesel industry has grown from 20 million gallons in 2003 to more than 200 million gallons in 2021. According to Levin, the industry supports 2,000 jobs in Illinois.