Some state lawmakers are looking to defend the pork industry from a recent report linking processed meat to cancer.

House Resolution 839 would recognize the importance of bacon and other pork products, as well as pork producers, to the state’s economy and job growth.

Republican Representative Avery Bourne says the measure is a direct response to a recent report from the World Health Organization linking consumption of processed meat to cancer. The freshman lawmaker is an avid baker but says she’s never experimented putting bacon in her own confections.

[audio:11051581132-Bourne.mp3] [/audio]

Bourne says she recently toured a large pork producer’s operation in Nokomis, where she saw how important the pork industry is for Illinois.