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Illinois HB 5776 passed the House unanimously and has been assigned to the Rules Committee in the Senate. For more information,
go to http://www.libertyark.net/states/il.html
I am so happy to report that SB 486 -- removing Indiana's participation in NAIS -- passed the Senate
Agriculture and Small Business Committee on an 8-1 vote due to the testimonies of small farmers. Only Senator Jackman,
a veterinarian and hog CAFO operator, voted no.
Thanks to Doug Adamson, Rich Molini, Jim Whelan, Luella Porter, Moe Parr, Valerie Metzger, Dan
Frantz, Bill Boyd, Michael Hicks and 4-5 others not in our network. I also testified.
This was so stunning because the Indiana Department of Agriculture, Indiana Board of Animal Health,
Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Poultry Association, Indiana Beef Cattle Association, and Indiana Pork Producers offered testimony
in opposition to the bill.
Emotion (plight of the small farmer) wins over eloquence and logic.
HB 486 now goes to the full Senate for consideration. Email or write your state senator asking
him/her to support it. The email address for senators is S+ senate district number@in.gov --example S46@in.gov
The message is that NAIS will drive small farmers out of business through the costs of regulatory
compliance without any increase in food safety. We who sell directly to consumers offer the highest food safety and security
in the nation.
It was agreat day for small farmers in Indiana. If we keep this level of activity going,
people in government and agriculture may one day understand the two worlds of food. Industrial agriculture is factory farming
which produces commodities. Small farmers produce high quality foods which nourish people and builds community.
Best to all,
Steve
Steve Bonney, President
Sustainable Earth
a 501(c)3 not-for-profit membership organization
dedicated to the development
of sustainable family farming systems and community food systems
100 Georgton Ct.
West
Lafayette, IN 47906
Hello all,
Late yesterday afternoon, SB 486 was brought up for second reading in the full Senate. At that
time, Sen Hershman introduced the amendment that I sent out to you. The amendment was adopted and the amended version passed.
Third reading was held at 7:30 tonight and passed 46 to 1. Sen Jackman was the only nay vote--because he wants all three phases
to be mandatory -- which tells me that we did derail their efforts. He also said today during discussion of Sen. Gard's CAFO
bill that animals do so well in confinement because they are happy -- imagine that.
The passage of Hershman's amendment yesterday was by voice vote and there was no passion
displayed about the issue one way or the other. Senator Hershman's remarks were that this was a compromise position between
the state veterinarian wanting premises ID and small farmers not wanting the burden of animal ID and tracking. He did say
that the program (premises ID) was voluntary which is not accurate.
The bill continues the mandatory status of premises ID as implemented through administrative
rule by the BOAH. Of course BOAH received $130,000 in 2006 and $179,000 in 2007 from USDA to implement mandatory premises
ID. As of September 2006, anyone who has not registered is subject to a $25,000
per day fine. One day of this fine is more than the individual annual earning of 75% of Indiana farms.
Most of us oppose any mandatory presises ID of as well as any mandatory animal ID and
tracking. So, we want all three phases of the NAIS to be codified into law as voluntary. That is our goal in the House.
While we were giving testimony before the Senate Agriculture and Small Business Committee, Sen
Richard Young (D) Milltown, the committe's ranking minority member (RMM) admitted that he had not registered his farm where
he raises beef cattle.
SB 486 now goes to the House and will repeat the path that it traveled through the Senate. After
first reading, it will be assigned to the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. The chair is Rep Pflum (D-Milton),
h56@in.gov, Vice chair Stemler (D-Jeffersonville), h71@in.gov, and Democratic members Battles h64@in.gov, Bischoff h68@in.gov, Dembowski h17@in.gov, Goodin h66@in.gov, Grubb h42@in.gov, and Republicans Gutwein RMM h16@in.gov, Friend h23@in.gov, Knollman h55@in.gov, Lehe h15@in.gov, Stutzman h52@in.gov
It was suggested that I inform everyone about the language and path of bills in the General Assembly,
so here is a short explanation:
A bill must go through 3 readings. Actually, the clerk does not read them. In the fashion of
a tobacco auctioneer, the clerk begins the rapid explanation of the bill's title, but is cut off by the gavel of the presiding
person. The actual bill is not read. First reading is the introduction of the bill to either the House or Senate. At
this point it is assigned to an appropriate committee. If defeated or never acted upon, the bill dies. If passed by the
committee, it returns to the full chamber for second reading. This is the only time the bill can be amended, after which it
is voted upon for passage or defeat. If passed on second reading it is ordered for engrossment, which is the formal printing
of the bill as passed on second reading (could be the same language as introduced, but usually incorporates amendments
in the language. Third reading is an up or down vote after discussion. If passed, it is sent to the other chamber for
consideration, where it goes through the same steps as in the chamber of origin. The bill always retains the bill
designation in the other chamber. (e.g. SB 486 will continue to be called SB 486 as it passes through the House.)
Best regards,
Steve
Steve Bonney, President
Sustainable Earth
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