HB 2030 GOING TO HOUSE AG COMMITTEE TOMORROW MORNING

URGENT ACTION NEEDED!

HB 2030 GOING TO HOUSE AG COMMITTEE TOMORROW MORNING
8:30 AM

Virginia General Assembly

201 N 9th St, Richmond, VA 23219
HOUSE ROOM C

HB 2030, has changed into a regulated raw milk sales bill which was heard, passed, amended, and referred to the full House Agricultural Committee yesterday.

The amended language, under Section 3.2-5206, proposed by Delegate Bobby Orrock would require cow share milk to be labeled on the bottle. The code carries penalties for non compliance therefore entering cow shares into the code of Virginia.

Cow shares by nature are considered property of the shareholders and milk a dividend of ownership. This legislation if passed with the cow share amendment would enter cow shares into the Virginia legislature opening them up to future demands of Government compliance with property ownership.

Who owns your property, YOU or the Government?

How is this regulation going to be enforced?

Who would come onto the farm, with or without an appointment, how often, to check on labeling?

Invasion of privacy? What if homeowner is at work? Entry onto property without permission? Trespassing ?

PLEASE CONTACT THE HOUSE AGRICULTURAL COMMITTEE, TODAY

AND TELL THEM TO REMOVE THE COW SHARE AMENDMENT ON HB 2030

Updates will be posted on VICFA’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/179473499197088/

House Agriculture Committee

Delegate District # Capitol Phone Email

Marshall, Daniel W., III (Chair) 14th (804) 698-1014 DelDMarshall@house.virginia.gov

Poindexter, Charles D. (Vice Chair) 9th (804) 698-1009 DelCPoindexter@house.virginia.gov

Ware, R. Lee 65th (804) 698-1065 DelLWare@house.virginia.gov

Wright, Thomas C., Jr. 61st (804) 698-1061 DelTWright@house.virginia.gov

Orrock, Robert D., Sr. 54th (804) 698-1054 DelBOrrock@house.virginia.gov

Pogge, Brenda L. 96th (804) 698-1096 DelBPogge@house.virginia.gov

Knight, Barry D. 81st (804) 698-1081 DelBKnight@house.virginia.gov

Edmunds, James E., II 60th (804) 698-1060 DelJEdmunds@house.virginia.gov

Wilt, Tony O. 26th (804) 698-1026 DelTWilt@house.virginia.gov

Morefield, James W. (Will) 3rd (804) 698-1003 DelJMorefield@house.virginia.gov

Webert, Michael J. 18th (804) 698-1018 DelMWebert@house.virginia.gov

Ransone, Margaret B. 99th (804) 698-1099 DelMRansone@house.virginia.gov

Fariss, C. Matthew 59th (804) 698-1059 DelMFariss@house.virginia.gov

Miller, Jackson H. 50th (804) 698-1050 DelJMiller@house.virginia.gov

Bloxom, Robert S., Jr. 100th (804) 698-1000 DelRBloxom@house.virginia.gov

Plum, Kenneth R. 36th (804) 698-1036 DelKPlum@house.virginia.gov

Bulova, David L. 37th (804) 698-1037 DelDBulova@house.virginia.gov

James, Matthew 80th (804) 698-1080 DelMJames@house.virginia.gov

Torian, Luke E. 52nd (804) 698-1052 DelLTorian@house.virginia.gov

Keam, Mark L. 35th (804) 698-1035 DelMKeam@house.virginia.gov

Lopez, Alfonso H. 49th (804) 698-1049 DelALopez@house.virginia.gov

Sullivan, Richard C. (Rip), Jr. 48th (804) 698-1048 DelRSullivan@house.virginia.gov

UPDATE 2/1/2017

Statement from the office of Delegate Nick Freitas:

“We are working to remove the language referring to cow shares in the bill. This amendment was added onto our bill yesterday in subcommittee against our objections. If we cannot get this language removed and reverted back to the bill we carried to the subcommittee, we will strike the legislation.

The HB 2030 we introduced to the subcommittee yesterday would have allowed for the limited legalization of raw milk sales in Virginia. Currently that is illegal in the Commonwealth outside of a herd share. Our goal was to actually allow farmers to buy and sell raw milk in the commonwealth without the government coming down on them. Unfortunately the subcommittee inserted this herd share amendment into our bill and passed it to full committee. While we are very appreciative that our legislation has made it this far, our goal is to strike the herd share amendment from our bill and bring it back to the form we originally introduced yesterday, which would have simply legalized raw milk sales in Virginia without making any mention to herd shares in any form.

If we are unable to remove the herd share amendment, we will strike our own bill. While legalizing raw milk sales in the Commonwealth is a noble goal which our office fully supports, we are not willing to jeopardize herd shares across the Commonwealth in order to obtain it.”

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