LA Alert HB 467 Urgent Reminder: Senate Ag Hearing 9am May 21st - Support Raw Milk Sales

Tell Senate Committee Members to Vote YES on HB 467

Support Raw Milk Sales in Louisiana

House Bill 467 (HB 467), legislation legalizing raw milk sales in Louisiana, has passed out of the House and is now before the Senate Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development Committee; a hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 21 at 9 a.m. in Senate Room C. If at all possible, please attend the hearing; we need an overflow crowd of support.

HB 467 legalizes the on-farm sale of up to 500 gallons per month of either raw cow or raw goat milk for human consumption. There are extensive construction, sanitation, storage and handling requirements, ensuring the production of safe milk, as well as a warning requirement on the label stating that “this product . . . has not been pasteurized, and therefore may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly and persons with weakened immune systems.”

The bill also clarifies existing law in providing that producers can also sell raw milk for pet consumption.

The Senate is going to be a more difficult test for the bill; your participation is critical.

ACTION TO TAKE

1. Attend the hearing and testify in favor of HB 467 set for 9 a.m. Tuesday in Senate Room C. It’s important that the Senate Ag committee members see firsthand the support there is for HB 467. Even if you don’t want to testify, still attend the hearing if at all possible.

2. Call and/or email members of the Senate Ag committee asking them to vote YES on HB 467. Calls are most effective (see Contact Info for members near the end); it is especially important to call a committee member if you are a constituent. Talking Points are listed below.

To find your legislators, enter your address at:
https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/FindMyLegislators.aspx

You may copy/paste the following block of emails to reach all committee members:

sen33@legis.la.gov; sen37@legis.la.gov; sen21@legis.la.gov; sen36@legis.la.gov; sen20@legis.la.gov; jacksonk@legis.la.gov; sen32@legis.la.gov; sagri@legis.la.gov

TALKING POINTS

1. This is a freedom of choice issue. Everyone has the legal right to consume raw milk, but with the current ban on sales, there is no way for many to exercise that right. Neither the Department of Agriculture and Forestry nor any other government agency or official should have the right to dictate to people what foods they can and cannot eat.

2. HB 467 could help farms in the state dairy’s industry stay in business. In 2016, the last time a raw milk bill was before the legislature, there were 115 Grade A dairies in Louisiana. Today that number is around 50. The additional revenue from selling raw milk for human consumption or pet consumption could be the difference for dairies to continue to operate.

3. Raw milk has a good record for safety. As demand for raw milk has skyrocketed in recent years, the number of illnesses attributed to raw milk consumption has remained flat or even gone down.

4. The media and public health agencies have been warning people not to drink raw milk because of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). There is no evidence that HPAI in raw milk or any other food can make people sick. [See “Where Is the Evidence?” by Peg Coleman.]

WAPF will send out further actual alerts on HB 467 as events warrant.

CONTACT INFO – Senate Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development Committee members and their legislative assistants may be reached by email or phone. The committee phone number is 225-342-1078 to reach Gail Brister (committee secretary) and the committee email is sagri@legis.la.gov.

Stewart Cathey Jr. (R-33) – Chair

(318)582-5524

sen33@legis.la.gov

Legislative Assistant:  Cynthia Nyquist

William “Bill” Wheat Jr. (R-37) – Vice Chair

(985)543-4998

sen37@legis.la.gov

Legislative Assistant:  Cathy McNair Brignac

Robert Allain (R-21)

(337)828-9107

(985)850-2738

sen21@legis.la.gov

Legislative Assistant:  Laura Meadows

J. Adam Bass (R-36)

(318)741-2812

sen36@legis.la.gov

Legislative Assistant:  Halee Purcell

Michael “Big Mike” Fesi (R-20)

(985)858-2979

sen20@legis.la.gov

Legislative Assistant:  Luci Sposito

Katrina R. Jackson-Andrews (D-34)

(318)343-2877

jacksonk@legis.la.gov

Legislative Assistant:  Terisa Tran

Glen Womack (R-32)

(318)744-0005

sen32@legis.la.gov

Legislative Assistant:  Tori Roberts

LINKS

HB 467 –

https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?s=24rs&b=HB467&sbi=y

Senate Ag committee –

https://www.senate.la.gov/Sen_Committees/AgricultureForestry

“Where Is the Evidence?” by Peg Coleman, Food Freedom Foundationhttps://www.foodfreedomfoundation.org/blog/where-is-the-evidence