September 24, 2004

CA Governor Vetoes Food Irradiation Bill

In a blow to California's parents and students, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 1988, which would have required school board approval and parental notification before irradiated foods can be served in schools. Below is the statement of Public Citizen's California Director, Anna
Blackshaw. While this veto is a setback, AB 1988's passage through both houses of the California State Legislature is still a victory, and gives us momentum to bring this bill or a similar one up next year.

Please CONTACT the Governor and let him know that his veto is denying parents and students critical information about what is served in school lunches!

** You can send the governor an email through his website at this link:
http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=8891831&u=74771
** Or you can call him at this number: (916) 445-2841 (press #7 to speak to constituent service -- you may be on hold for a few minutes)
** Or send him a letter at this address:
The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of California
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: 916-445-4633

For more information on Public Citizen's campaign to keep irradiated foods out of schools, visit
http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=8891831&u=74772

Press Release

Governor Fails California Students by Vetoing
Parents' Right to Know Bill

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to veto AB 1988, which requires school board approval, public disclosure and parental notification before irradiated foods can be purchased for school lunch programs, deprives California's students and parents of valuable information about what is in their school lunches.

AB 1988 would have protected parents' right to know what their children eat at school and provided a democratic decision-making process for a highly controversial issue that has parents concerned across the state. The bill required simple actions, such as labeling irradiated food on
school menus, that would not be a financial burden on school systems using these foods. For schools choosing not to serve irradiated foods, the bill would not impose any costs. In fact, the irradiated ground beef currently being offered to states through the National School Lunch
Program is significantly more expensive than non-irradiated ground beef, ensuring that the increased price of irradiated food would make a much more dramatic impact on school food budgets than any labeling requirement in AB 1988.

While the California Department of Education is not carrying irradiated ground beef in its commodity distribution system for this school year, schools can still purchase irradiated foods from other sources. Current regulations on the labeling of irradiated food do not apply to food
served in schools because they apply only to food purchased in the grocery story. This means that it is more important than ever for local school districts to follow the example of the six California school
districts that have already banned irradiated food from their cafeterias.

Given the scientific uncertainty over the safety of irradiated foods and their wide-scale rejection by consumers, it is important to involve parents in decisions regarding food their children will be served. With this veto, Governor Schwarzenegger has failed California's students and parents.

Keep irradiated food out of your child's lunch!
Visit http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=8891831&u=74773 to find out more.

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This page was posted on 09/27/04