HI Action Alert - HB 1989 House Cmte Vote 2/12 - Support Raw Milk Sales

Tell House Ag Committee to Vote YES on HB 1989

Support Raw Milk Sales

House Bill 1989 (HB 1989), legislation legalizing raw milk sales in Hawaii, will have a hearing 2 p.m. Monday (Feb. 12th) before the House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems (AGR). Deadline to submit written testimony is Sunday by 2 p.m. Honolulu time.

HB 1989 legalizes the sale of raw milk and raw milk products direct to consumers provided that the farm from which the raw milk or raw milk product originated shall own or house no more than ten milk-bearing cows, goats or sheep. Producers must be in compliance with rules issued by the state board of health, including a requirement that the label on the raw milk or raw milk products have a warning statement. Producers must also obtain a permit before beginning operations.

HB 1989 also allows sales of raw goat milk for pet consumption. Producers must be in compliance with rules issued by the state department of health, including a requirement that a label have the statement: “Contains pathogens that may be unsafe for human consumption.”

Hawaii is an outlier, one of few states that doesn’t allow any sale or distribution of raw milk. It’s time for the legislature to change that.

ACTION TO TAKE

1. Testify and/or Submit Testimony – You may register to testify in person or via zoom. Whether or not you testify, you may submit testimony supporting HB 1989 to the House Agriculture Committee for the February 12th hearing at 2 p.m. Monday in Conference Room 312, State Capitol (415 South Beretania Street, Honolulu).

The deadline for submitting written testimony is 2pm Sunday (2/11/2024)–24 hours before the hearing. After you have created an account at https://capitol.hawaii.gov/, you can sign-in and go to the bill page for HB 1989 to tap the “Submit Testimony” link and then follow the instructions. You can submit testimony on HB 1989 only ONCE for the Feb. 12th hearing.

HB 1989 bill page –

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1989&year=2024

2. Call and/or email committee members asking them to vote YES on HB 1989. Calls are the most effective way to get your message across. It’s especially important to do so if you are a constituent of a member of the committee. A list of members for the committee is included at the end of this email.

You may copy/paste the entire block to email the whole committee:

repgates@capitol.hawaii.gov; repkahaloa@capitol.hawaii.gov; repcochran@capitol.hawaii.gov; replowen@capitol.hawaii.gov; repperruso@capitol.hawaii.gov; repwoodson@capitol.hawaii.gov; repward@capitol.hawaii.gov

To find your legislators, you may enter your address at

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/fyl/

You may view the hearing online at

TALKING POINTS

1. Tell the committee members your story on how raw milk has benefited your health or the health of your family.

2. Raw milk has a good track record for safety. According to at least one study, the number of illnesses attributed to raw milk consumption in the U.S. has declined as demand for the product has increased.

3. There is not a single Grade A dairy producing milk in the state. Passage of HB 1989 can revive Hawaii’s dairy industry.

4. Passage of HB 1989 would enable family farmers to make a better living. Raw milk in other states is often the product that first draws the consumer to set foot on the farm, leading to sales of other foods such as meat, poultry, eggs and produce.

5. HB 1989 supports consumer choice. The consumption of all raw milk products is legal in Hawaii, and demand for raw milk is booming; Hawaiians should not have to be part of an illegal transaction to exercise their legal right.

WAPF will send out further alerts on HB 1989 as events warrant.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

House Committee on Agriculture & Food Systems (AGR) – https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/legislature/committeepage.aspx?comm=AGR&year=2024

Rep. Cedric Asuega Gates (D) – Chair

House District 45
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 441
phone: 808-586-8460
fax: 808-586-8464
repgates@capitol.hawaii.gov

Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa (D) – Vice Chair

House District 6

Hawai‘i State Capitol, Room 314
Phone: 808-586-8530
Fax: 808-586-8534
repkahaloa@capitol.hawaii.gov

Rep. Elle Cochran (D)

House District 14
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 315
Room: 315
Phone: 808-586-6160
Fax: 808-586-6161
repcochran@capitol.hawaii.gov

Rep. Nicole E. Lowen (D)

House District 7
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 436
Phone: 808-586-8400
Fax: 808-586-8404
replowen@capitol.hawaii.gov