Support Montana House Bill 574
The Raw Milk Bill - Senate Hearing Tuesday, April 9
The raw milk bill, House Bill 574, made it through the House almost unanimously, but we're not done yet! We still have to get it through the Senate. Most of the Senators haven't even heard about the bill, so we have a lot to do in a short time.
The Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on HB 574 is set for Tuesday in Helena at 3 p.m. We need your help to educate the Committee members about raw milk before the hearing and then do a strong push the day of the actual hearing.
One of the risks is that the Senate will add amendments that could add costs to the program and kill the bill. So we need to specifically ask them to pass the bill without amendments.
Please help us legalize raw milk in Montana!
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Take Action #1 - Email the Senate Ag. Committee Members
Explain why raw milk is so important to you. Click here for the easy online message sender. You can send the same message at one time to each member of the entire committee. - Enter your name, address, email, etc.
- Select "Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation" from the drop down menu after selecting the "Committee" bubble.
- Type in HB574 for the bill number.
- Click on the "For" bubble to show that you support raw milk.
- Include a short message in the box below.
- SAMPLE: "I want to be able to buy raw milk from small, local farmers. (Include a sentence or two about why you want raw milk--personal messages carry a lot more weight.) When I go to a farm, I can judge for myself whether I want to buy from that person or not. Please pass HB 574 without any amendments."
- Hit "send" and it will go to all of the members of the committee.
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Take Action #2 - Call the Senate Ag. Committee Members
Urge them to pass HB 574Call 406-444-4800 to leave a voice message for the entire Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee. You can use a similar message as your email or use the sample script below.
SCRIPT: This message is for the Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee.
My name is _____________ and I live in _____________. Please pass HB 574 without any amendments. (You can add a more personal statement about why raw milk is important to you). I want to be able to buy raw milk from small, local farmers. When I go to a farm, I can judge for myself whether I want to buy from that person or not.
If your Senator is on the Ag Committee, please also call his or her office directly. To find your legislators and view the list of committee members, click here.
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Take Action #3 - Attend the Senate Ag Hearing
Give testimony, if at all possible. Attend the Senate hearing. It will be on Tuesday, April 9 at 3 p.m. If you are interested in testifying, Kristen Lee-Charlson is coordinating the speaker line-up to make sure all aspects are addressed; her email address is [email protected]. WHEN: 3:00 p.m. Tuesday - April 9, 2013 WHERE: Capitol Building, Room 303 WHAT: Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing on HB 574
WHY: Having people in the room really makes an impact on legislators!
Unable to attend? Please take time to call or send a note via the online form now and again on the day of the hearing--Committee members need to hear from Montanans both right now and the day of the hearing.
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Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee
Please contact members in your district
If your Senator is on the Senate Ag Committee, please also call his or her office directly; phone numbers are listed below.
Here's a short script for direct calls to your state senator: "Hi, my name is ____ and I am a constituent. I am calling to ask Senator ____ to support HB 574, the raw milk bill." (Again, you can make additional statements to personalize your call.)
22 - Taylor Brown, Chair (R) Huntley
Phone: (406) 348-2070
20 - Frederick (Eric) Moore, Vice Chair (R) Miles City
Phone: (406) 234-3562
8 - Shannon Augare (D) Browning
Phone: (406) 450-5686
44 - Scott Boulanger (R) Darby
Phone: (406) 360-1063
40 - Mary Cafferro (D) Helena
Phone: (406) 461-6266
46 - Sue Malek (D) Missoula
Phone: (406) 370-2424
39 - Terry Murphy (R) Cardwell
Phone: (406) 285-6937
33 - Mike Phillips (D) Bozeman
Phone: (406) 599-5857
34 - Scott Sales (R) Bozeman
Phone: (406) 579-7994
21 - Sharon Stewart-Peregoy (D) Crow Agency
Phone: (406) 639-2198
6 - Janna Taylor (R) Dayton Phone: (406) 253-8766
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More Information
What does the bill do?
- HB 574 creates a small herd exemption from the existing mandatory pasteurization requirements. It allows a small farmer to have up to 15 cows and 30 goats or sheep and sell raw milk if they purchase a $5 permit. Milk can only be sold to people coming to the farm to buy it.
- The bill also allows Grade A dairies to sell raw milk directly to consumers on the farm. Since most co-ops forbid the sale of raw milk, this would apply, in practice, only to independent dairies like Lifeline Farms and Kalispell Kreamery (currently the only two independent dairies in the state).
- HB 574 also offers a herd share (or ownership interest) provision that recognizes that part owners of an animal can consume milk from that animal. No milk is being sold, and the part owners are responsible for deciding what health and safety measures they want to take for themselves.
Read HB 574, and check on its status.
Updates will be posted on the Montana Alliance for Raw Milk Facebook page.
For more information, contact Chris Rosenau at [email protected], or if you wish to testify in Helena, contact Kristen Lee-Charlson at [email protected].
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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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