***MD - ACTION ALERT***

Fresh Milk Hearing March 17
Come support HB 1080

Where: Room 241 Lowe House Office Building 6 Bladen Street Annapolis MD
When: 1:00pm. Please come early to testify—you’ll need to sign in.

ACTIONS:

1.   Please Attend the hearing for HB1080. Numbers are important and Delegates care when people attend.  We especially need doctors and farmers to testify.  Contact Liz if you will testify, [email protected]

2.   Please Submit written testimony for the hearing whether or not you attend.  Send testimonies to Liz Reitzig; [email protected] . Please send testimonies to Liz by Friday. Include your name, address and phone number.

BACKGROUND:  In Spring of 2006, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) redefined a cow-share (agistment) as a “sale” of raw milk, making cow-shares illegal and forcing Maryland residents to seek fresh milk in other states.  For the past two years, MICFA has supported legislation to restore access to fresh milk in MD.  These bills were not allowed out of committee. Delegate Jennings’ current bill, HB1080, will restore cow shares if passed. The economic benefits to farmers who have agistment agreements are increasingly important in this economy.  Help us convince the committee members and especially the chairman.
 
NOTE: Delegate Jennings has another bill that would allow HIGHLY regulated sales of raw milk, but no farmer would be able to comply with these regulations and sell fresh milk.  We OPPOSE this bill—HB1015.  Please come prepared to speak against this bill if necessary.

Link to 1080: http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/billfile/hb1080.htm
Link to 1015: http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/billfile/hb1015.htm

Information: Liz Reitzig 301-860-0535 [email protected]