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The Boneta Bill Passes Subcommittee

The Boneta Bill (HB 1430 ) passed through the Agriculture subcommittee on Monday and will be heard in the full Agriculture Committee tomorrow, Wednesday, January 30th at 8:30 a.m.!
 
The bill as passed this week contains key language that will protect the rights of property owners and farmers, like Martha Boneta, and is a leap forward in keeping government out of every aspect of our lives!
 
We need to show the full committee how powerful this movement is and show them that we are going to fight.

Show your support and attend tomorrow's meeting:

What: Meeting of the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee
Why: To debate the Boneta Bill (HB 1430) and vote to send the bill to the floor of the House of Delegates
When: Wednesday, January 30th, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.
Where: House Room C of the General Assembly Building (1000 Bank Street, Richmond, VA) 

If you'd like to contact the members of the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee, you can find the information here.  
 
About the Bill: 
 
HB1430HB 1430: Clarifies the definition of "agricultural operations" in Virginia's Right to Farm Act to include farm-to-business and farm-to-consumer sales, especially of ancillary items in a farm store, such as books, crafts, furniture, food and beverages, as long as they comprise less than 50% of farm production or sales. It gives persons engaged in farming a cause of action against the county's state employees and officials for violations of the Right to Farm Act or constitutional rights, such as right to property, assembly, free speech, and religion.

Sign up to receive updates on HB 1430 as it is debated in the full Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee.

Please support the Boneta Bill (HB 1430) by attending the meeting tomorrow. 
Letter from HB 1430's Sponsor, Scott Linghamfelter
Attend the Full Committee Meeting Tomorrow
 
Friends,

Yesterday was truly a day that I will remember as a highlight of my legislative career. I didn't get a chance to update you after the long subcommittee meeting last night, but I wanted to send you a note first thing this morning to tell you the good news!

Friends, I wish you could have been there. As I came out of the elevator and headed towards the committee room, there was a massive crowd of supporters spilling out into the hallway. There were folks from all over the Commonwealth. No joke. From all over.

It was almost impossible to get into the room. Both entrances were packed.

I couldn't help but be grateful for the sacrifice that all these folks made for the sake of property rights, liberty, and free enterprise. It was humbling to see so many folks there to support Martha and my effort to move a good bill forward, and we did!

And it really made a difference to the subcommittee members to see first-hand how powerful this grassroots movement really is.

The fight isn't over yet, folks, and here's where you come in. We need to show the full committee how powerful this movement is and show them that we are going to fight.

So here is your call to action: WE NEED TO PACK THE ROOM ON WEDNESDAY.
 
Please forward this message along and make sure that we have all of our supporters at the full committee hearing.
 
I can't thank you enough for all of your support. Like I said, I will not soon forget this day. But we've got a long ways to go before we can celebrate. The opponents of property rights are going to come out fast and hard against this bill, but I know that we will outwork them.

I hope to see you Wednesday!

Scott
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, 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.

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Donations to the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund are always appreciated though not tax-deductible. Prefer to make a tax-deductible donation? Go to www.f2cfnd.org/donate to earmark it for "public interest litigation" (PIL). Or contact us by email at [email protected] or call 703-208-FARM (3276).   

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.