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Restore Property Rights & Herdshares in WV with SB 30

Use Fax Petition & Contact Governor


 

UPDATE: The West Virginia herdshare bill (SB 30) passed out of the Senate in February and the House of Delegates in March, and was conveyed to Governor Tomblin on March 23, 2015.

SB 30 is a bi-partisan bill that would restore property rights to West Virginians. It began as a bill to allow sales of raw cow's milk but was changed in the Senate committee to a more favorable bill allowing shared ownership of any milk-producing animal. 

Herdshares were outlawed through regulation, not legislation, by the State Department of Health; the Department also prohibited the sale of raw milk even as pet food. It's also illegal simply to "offer" raw milk for free.

 

Act Now! The governor could decide any day!

 

Help to get this bill passed: Use the fax petition and follow up with a phone call or email!

 

Please pass this alert on and ask others to do the same.
 Item1
Action #1 - Use Fax Petition
Ask the WV Governor to Sign SB 30

 

Please use this fax petition to fax Governor Tomblin to urge him to sign SB 30 into law!

 

Also, please be courteous as this helps to build good relations.
 

 Item2
Action #2 - Follow Up with Calls and Emails
Emphasize the Importance of Property Rights

 

Please follow up the fax petition with a phone call (304-558-2000 or 888-438-2731 FREE) to Governor Tomblin, as time permits. You can also submit a comment to the governor online using this form.

 

Again, please be courteous as this helps to build good relations.
 

 Item3
Talking Points

  • It's a freedom of choice issue; the consumption of raw milk is legal but state residents have no legal way to exercise this right unless they own dairy animals and board them on their own property; sales of raw milk, distribution through herdshares, and even giving away raw milk is illegal in West Virginia.

  • Allowing herdshares will boost the rural economy and increase farmers' incomes; raw milk can be the gateway to sales of other farm products such as meat, poultry, eggs and produce.
  • The state is losing revenue to surrounding states like Ohio and Pennsylvania where West Virginians go to obtain raw milk.
 For more information, visit www.wvrawmilk.com and track the bill at www.legiscan.com/WV

 


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 2013 Summary. 

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Please forward this alert to others who are concerned about protecting locally-sourced nutrient-dense foods and preserving sustainable small family farms and artisan food producers as well as defending the rights to sell and to access the foods of one's choice from the source of one's choice.    

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