Proposed $5 million investment into alternative proteins triggers divide
More than $5 million would be devoted to researching alternative proteins (plant-based meat substitutes) under a proposal by Illinois Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago), writes Chicago City Wire. The money would go toward grants at higher education institutions to learn more about creating planti-based substitutes for meat. The industry is booming as concerns grow over the water, fertilizer, pesticide and carbon impact of farming and livestock. With 30 companies in the alternative protein industry, Illinois is already the nation’s third-largest producer of alternative protein, which is projected to become a $150 billion market by 2050, American Ag Network writes. State Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) questions whther the money would be better spent to directly aid farmers and has labelled the alternative protein industry a Democrat-driven endeavor.
Private water testing in Cahokia Heights contradicts officials
CAHOKIA HEIGHTS — A private firm said there was no e. coli in the water. The city said there was no e. coli in the water. But some private residents’ tests last year showed there was (St. Louis Public Radio). Residents of southern Illinois’ Cahokia Heights, where raw sewage sometimes floods the streets during heavy rains, are fighting to have decades-old concerns about water quality addressed by authorities. The private water tests were conducted by a team of lawyers, the nonprofit Equity Legal Services, and residents and volunteers from the Sierra Club and the NAACP East St. Louis chapter. The tests showed e. coli in eight of 118 water samples from 23 homes over seven months. Another 26 homes tested positive for total coliforms, STLPR writes, which are harmless but may “signal a potential problem with equipment or treatment systems.” A second round of testing began in February.
Budzinski handily defeats Blaha for 13th Congressional District nod
Incumbent Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski handily defeated her progressive challenger to win the Democratic Party nomination for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District that includes includes Champaign-Urbana, most of Decatur and Springfield as well as most of the Metro East of St. Louis (IPM News). Budzinski earned more than three-fourths of votes cast in the primary, defeating Dylan Blaha, an Army veteran who had made transgender topics a focal point of his campaign (The Advocate). Budzinski was first elected in 2022 and became the first Democrat to represent the 13th Congressional District since 1895, writes IPM.
