Texas Raw Milk Moving Forward!
Copied directly from Farm To Consumer Legal Defense call to action email:
After briefly stalling in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, the raw milk bill, SB 95, passed through Committee yesterday by a vote of 8-1! The next step is a vote before the full Senate.
Thanks and congratulations to all of you who contacted your Senator urging their support of SB 95. Raw milk is already legal in Texas, but currently must be purchased at the farm on which it is produced. SB 95 would allow the sale of raw milk at farmers' markets and by delivery.
We won the first round--and now we need to keep it moving. Can you help again, by contacting your Senator and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to urge that they move this bill forward before it's too late? See contact info and sample scripts below.
The House's version of the bill, HB 57, never had a committee hearing. The same bill passed the House with a strong bipartisan vote in 2015--but, at this stage of the session, the odds are against us being able to get the bill through both the Senate and House simply because we're running out of time.
But, if the Senate approves SB 95, it will mean that the bill has passed both chambers at different times. Going into the next Session with past support from both chambers greatly multiplies chances of this bill getting passed. Even a partial victory, in getting the Senate to approve expansion of raw milk access, would be a success worth celebrating!
Please pass this alert on and ask others to do the same.
Take Action One:
Call Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
Call or email Lieutenant Governor Patrick and urge him to bring SB 95 to the floor, allowing the sale of licensed Grade A raw milk at farmers' markets and by delivery to consumers. While the Lt. Governor doesn't vote on bills, he does control when they come to a vote.
You can reach the Lt. Governor at 512-463-0001 or LTGConstituent.Affairs@ltgov.texas.gov
Sample script:
"Hi, my name is ____, and I live in (name of town or county). I am calling to urge Lt. Gov. Patrick to help move forward SB 95, the raw milk bill, as quickly as possible. This bill is important because it would make it safer and easier for consumers to have access to this healthy food product, and it would create new opportunities for our small farmers."
Take Action Two:
Call Your State Senator
If you don't know who represents you, find out by going here or calling the Texas Capitol Switchboard at 512-463-4630. (Remember, you want to contact your state Senator, not Congress, about this bill.) Even if you have called before, please call again.
Sample script:
"Hi, my name is ____, and I am a constituent. I am calling to urge Senator ________ to vote yes on SB 95, the raw milk bill. The bill would make it safer and easier for consumers to have access to raw milk, and it creates new opportunities for our small farmers. [Next, add a sentence or two about why this matters to you personally, such as: I want to have reasonable access to the foods of my choice/I'm a raw milk consumer/My family needs raw milk for health reasons, etc.]"
Learn more about SB 95 here.
Thank You's
Thank you to Senator Hall for carrying the bill, and to the eight Senators who voted yes in the Health and Human Services Committee:
Chairman Schwertner
Vice-Chair Uresti
Senator Buckingham
Senator Burton
Senator Kolkhorst
Senator Miles
Senator Van Taylor
Senator Watson
If your Senator voted "yes" in Committee, please be sure to thank him or her when you call.
The only "no" vote was Senator Perry.
