***WI - ACTION ALERT***

WI Assembly Committee Vote

The raw milk bill is moving forward, but we need your help to keep it going!  On March 16, the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Higher Education unanimously approved an amended version of SB 434.    The Assembly Committee on Rural Economic Development is tentatively scheduled on March 30 to vote on the companion bill, AB 628, which has the same amendments as SB 434. 

Everyone supporting the raw milk bill needs to contact each member of the Assembly committee and ask them to vote for AB 628.  The amended version of the bill still provides, like the original version, that all grade A dairies can sell raw milk; instead of a raw milk license, the dairies must simply register with the state.  If passed, the bill is effective for 2 years, so it buys time for raw milk farmers and consumers to work for a better bill in the next session.  Passage of the bill will enable dairies to stay in business who would not otherwise survive without the additional income they would earn selling raw milk direct to the consumer.  The same kind of support the bill had at the March 10 public hearing is needed now to see SB 434 and AB 628 through to passage.  

Raw milk farmers and consumers showed up by the hundreds for the March 10th public hearing.  We need that same kind of support to keep SB 434 and AB 628 moving now!

TAKE ACTION
Please call each member of the Assembly Committee on Rural Economic Development (listed below) and ask them to vote in favor of AB 628.  Call now and again next week before the committee vote on Tuesday.

NEXT STEPS
If the Assembly committee approves AB 628, there are still several more steps:  (1) the Leadership in both houses schedules a vote; (2) the full Assembly and Senate vote; (3) the Governor signs the bill.

We need your help at each stage of the process and will send out alerts with more information as the bill moves forward. But first it has to get through the Assembly committee!    

MORE INFORMATION
You can read a copy of the bill as passed by the Senate committee:  SB 434-March 23

Click here to read the Legislative Amendment Memo for SB 434-March 23

For status of the bills go to

Senate bill SB 434 –
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/SB434hst.html

Assembly bill HB 628 - http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/AB628hst.html

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE on RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Representative Phil Garthwaite (Chair)
(608) 266-1170
[email protected]

Representative Fred Clark
(608) 266-7746   Or (888) 534-0042
[email protected]

Representative Dan Meyer
(608) 266-7141  Or (888) 534-0034
[email protected]

Representative Lee Nerison
(608) 266-3534  Or (888) 534-0096
[email protected]

Representative Andy Jorgensen
(608) 266-3790
[email protected]

Representative Kristen Dexter
(608) 266-9172
[email protected]

Representative Brett Davis
(608) 266-1192  Or (888) 534-0080
[email protected]

Representative John Murtha
(608) 266-7683
[email protected]

Representative Ann Hraychuck
(608) 267-2365  Or (888) 529-0028
[email protected]

Representative Jeffrey Wood
(608) 266-1194  Or (888) 534-0067
[email protected]