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Action Alert - visit www.farmtoconsumer.org     
UPDATE: Ask Senate Committee to Support HB 1089  
Sign Revised Petition and Attend Hearing on Thursday!
Anthony Bavuso,
one of the farmers who
would be helped by HB 1089

Take Action Now!

Updates


 

Thursday - February 27, 2014  

approx. 12:30 p.m. or later

[half hour after Senate adjourns]

General Assembly Building

Senate Room B
1000 Bank Street
Richmond, VA 23218
[directions]

UPDATE: House Bill 1089 passed out of the House on February 5 and it passed out of the Senate Local Government Committee on February 6. 

 

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources will hear House Bill 1089 on Thursday, Feb. 27 at approx. 12:30 p.m. in Senate Room B in the General Assembly building.

 

Please show your support and take action.  

Inundate the entire Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with your support of this bill!  
 
Please share this alert with friends and family.  
ItemA
About the Bill
 

A definition of "agricultural products" is already codified in Virginia statutes under section 3.2-6400. Virginia law currently restricts localities from requiring a 'special use' permit for certain agricultural activities but section 15.2-2288 of the Virginia Code is not clear. Two Virginia oyster farmers, Anthony Bavuso and Greg Garrett, were pursued by York County zoning officials; though both won their cases, the county appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court, claiming that their residences served as the principal use of the land and therefore required a special use permit from the county to operate an oyster farm (i.e., engaging in aquaculture).

 

Passage of HB 1089 will clarify that "agricultural products" means any livestock, aquaculture, poultry, horticultural, floricultural, viticulture, silvicultural, or other farm crops. Concise definitions of terms like "agricultural products" will help farmers avoid unnecessary and costly court battles in the future.

 

House Bill 1089 - Zoning - Clarifies definition of "agricultural products" 

 

HB 1089 was introduced by Delegate Rick Morris

 

See details about HB 1089 at www.lis.virginia.gov/HB1089 


Read FTCLDF's article about Anthony Bavuso's case. 
ItemB
Action #1
Sign Petition and Follow Up with Phone Calls
 
Sign the Online Petition Now to email your message to the committee members asking them to support HB 1089 then follow up with phone calls.

Simply enter your full contact information so legislators can know that you are a Virginia resident.  

Your message will go to the full committee and you can also choose to send it to the editor of a local newspaper:

 

I urge you to vote YES on HB 1089 to help protect small farmers from burdensome regulations by clarifying the meaning of "agricultural products" to be consistent with the definition already in VA statutes 3.2-6400.     

 

Add your personal message in the comment field. Please share this link with others and encourage them to do the same, www.bit.ly/ftc-va2.

 

To be more effective, follow up the email sent via the petition by calling the members of the Senate Committee. See phone numbers belowp>

ItemC
Action #2
Attend Hearing
 
Attend Senate Committee hearing scheduled for Thursday, February 27, 2014 at approximately 12:30 p.m. The hearing will start one half hour after Senate adjourns. On Thursday after the Senate adjourns, you can check www.bit.ly/1ljfOKp to see exactly what time the Senate will reconvene in their committees.

The location of the hearing is:

Senate Room B
General Assembly Building
1000 Bank Street
Richmond, VA 23218 [directions
ItemD
Action #3
Comment on Webpage
 
Cast your vote on the Richmond Sunlight webpage about HB 1089 and post a comment at
www.richmondsunlight.com/bill/2014/hb1089

Some legislators do read them. 
ItemE
Sample Message
Your calls and emails make a difference. 

If you send an email, please be sure to personalize your message! To make a much bigger impact, add a couple of sentences about who you are and why HB 1089 matters to you. 
 
SAMPLE MESSAGE for emails or calls: 
      

Dear Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee,

 

Please support HB 1089. HB 1089 will help protect small farmers from burdensome regulations by clarifying the meaning of an "agricultural product" to be consistent with the definition already in VA statutes 3.2-6400.

 

Thank you for your support. 

ItemF
Committee Email Address List
Email List for Senate Committee on Ag., Conservation and Natural Resources 

Copy the below lists into your email client's "To" field to email every member of the Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee.

 

[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected][email protected]

[email protected][email protected]; [email protected];

[email protected][email protected][email protected]

 

To be more effective, please follow up your email with a phone call to the legislators.   
ItemG
Senate Committee Members

 

Chairman Sen. Phillip P. Puckett (D) - District 38

(804) 698-7538

[email protected]

 

Sen. John A. Cosgrove (R) - District 14

(804) 698-7514

[email protected]

 

Sen. Adam P. Ebbin (D) - District 30

(804) 698-7530

[email protected]

 

Sen. Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. (R) - District 24

(804) 698-7524

[email protected]

 

Sen. Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr. (D) - District 06 

(804) 698-7506

[email protected]  

 

Sen. David W. Marsden (D) - District 37

(804) 698-7537

[email protected]

 

Sen. Ryan T. McDougle (R) - District 4 

(804) 698-7504

[email protected]

 

Sen. A. Donald McEachin (D) - District 9

(804) 698-7509

[email protected]

 

Sen. John C. Miller (D) - District 1

(804) 698-7501

[email protected]

 

Sen. J. Chapman Petersen (D) - District 34

(804) 698-7534

[email protected]

 

Sen. Frank M. Ruff, Jr. (R) - District 15

(804) 698-7515

[email protected]

 

Sen. William M. Stanley, Jr. (R) - District 20

(804) 698-7520

[email protected]

 

Sen. Richard H. Stuart (R) - District 28

(804) 698-7528

[email protected]  

 

Sen. John C. Watkins (R) - District 10

(804) 698-7510

[email protected]

 

Sen. Jennifer T. Wexton (D) - District 33 

(804) 698-7533

[email protected]

Keep Raw Milk Flowing

Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit [EIN 20-8605130], defends the rights and broadens the freedoms of family farms and artisan food producers while protecting consumer access to raw milk and nutrient-dense foods. Learn more About Us or read the FTCLDF 2012 Summary.

Membership benefits include the possibility of representation in court; the Fund typically pays for all court costs. The Fund is not an insurance company and cannot guarantee representation on all legal matters. Your membership fees and donations help to keep local food sources available and preserve family farms facing unjust enforcement actions.

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