Contact Rules Committee & Your Representative –
Tell Them to Vote NO on HB 385
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, North Carolina Farm Bureau, and the state’s dairy industry are trying to repeal a 6-month-old law legalizing the distribution of raw milk through herdshare agreements. Their allies in the legislature have introduced House Bill 385 (HB 385), a bill that would repeal the state’s herdshare law. The raw milk opponents are trying to get rid of herdshares in the name of food safety, before the law even has a chance to get off the ground. While this is going on state government labs that test pasteurized milk for safety are refusing to test raw milk produced by herdshare farmers.
The bill is currently in the House Rules Committee and could be fast-tracked to the House floor for a vote. Constituents (raw milk consumers, herdshare farmers, medical professionals, and veterinarians supporting raw milk consumption) have had no input on this legislation so far; regulators are using fear and hysteria in trying to railroad HB 385 through the legislature without any discussion of the bill.
What makes opposition to the herdshare law difficult to understand is that herdshare programs can help some of the dairies in the state’s rapidly declining conventional dairy industry remain in business. From April 2017 to April 2018, North Carolina lost a staggering 24% of its Grade A dairies dropping from 192 to 146. Many more dairies have gone out of business in the year since.
Consumer freedom of choice and the ability of dairy farmers to make a living is at stake. Act now to stop this bill.
ACTION TO TAKE
1. Call and/or email House Rules Committee members asking them to “Vote NO on HB 385”. It is especially important to CALL Chair Rep. David Lewis (919-715-3015) See the list of members at the end of this email.
You may copy/paste this block to send an email to all of the committee members AND their assistants:
Subject: Stop HB 385 – Protect Herdshares
David.Lewis@ncleg.net; John.Szoka@ncleg.net; John.Torbett@ncleg.net; Gale.Adcock@ncleg.net; Lisa.Barnes@ncleg.net; Chaz.Beasley@ncleg.net; Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net; William.Brisson@ncleg.net; Becky.Carney@ncleg.net; Ted.Davis@ncleg.net; Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net; Elmer.Floyd@ncleg.net; John.Fraley@ncleg.net; Holly.Grange@ncleg.net; Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net; Yvonne.Holley@ncleg.net; Howard.Hunter@ncleg.net; Darren.Jackson@ncleg.net; LindaP.Johnson@ncleg.net; Amos.Quick@ncleg.net; Robert.Reives@ncleg.net; Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net; Jason.Saine@ncleg.net; Shelly.Willingham@ncleg.net; Michael.Wray@ncleg.net; Lewisla@ncleg.net; Szokala@ncleg.net; Torbettla@ncleg.net; Adcockla@ncleg.net; Barnesla@ncleg.net; Beasleyla@ncleg.net; Bolesla@ncleg.net; Brissonla@ncleg.net; Carneyla@ncleg.net; Davistla@ncleg.net; Dixonla@ncleg.net; Floydla@ncleg.net; Fraleyla@ncleg.net; Grangela@ncleg.net; Hardisterla@ncleg.net; Hastingsla@ncleg.net; Holleyla@ncleg.net; Hunterla@ncleg.net; Jacksonla@ncleg.net; Johnsonla@ncleg.net; Quickla@ncleg.net; Reivesla@ncleg.net; Rosssla@ncleg.net; Sainela@ncleg.net; Willinghamla@ncleg.net; Wrayla@ncleg.net
2. Call and/or email your representative and tell him or her to “Vote NO on HB 385 and keep the herdshare law intact.”
Find Your NC Legislators –
https://www.ncleg.gov/RnR/Representation
TALKING POINTS
1. You want lawmakers and regulators to protect your freedom to obtain the food of your choice from local farms.
2. The herdshare law improves the ability of small-scale farms to make a living. For diversified farms, raw milk can be a gateway to sale of other farm products like meat, poultry, eggs, and produce.
3. The herdshare law improves the chances of some Grade A dairies surviving the hard times the conventional dairy industry is going through.
4. The herdshare law will keep more of the food dollar in the community; fewer people will go to South Carolina to get their raw milk.
5. Raw milk has a good overall track record for safety. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture can help in the production of safe raw milk by allowing raw milk producers to use state labs to test their milk.
COMMITTEE – Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
https://www.ncleg.gov/Committees/CommitteeInfo/HouseStanding/2
David R Lewis (R-53) – Chair
Office: 919-715-3015
Main: 910-897-8100
Asst: Grace Rogers, Lewisla@ncleg.net
John Szoka (R-45) – Vice Chair
Office: 919-733-9892
Main: 910-583-2960
Asst: Beverly Slagle, Szokala@ncleg.net
John A. Torbett (R-108) – Vice Chair
Office: 919-733-5868
Main: 704-263-9282
Asst: Viddia Torbett, Torbettla@ncleg.net
Gale Adcock (D-41)
Office: 919-733-5602
Main: 919-733-5602
Asst: Suzanne Smith, Adcockla@ncleg.net
Lisa Stone Barnes (R-7)
Office: 919-715-3032
Main: 919-715-3032
Asst: Beth Strandberg, Barnesla@ncleg.net
Chaz Beasley (D-92)
Office: 919-733-5654
Main: 919-733-5654
Asst: Michael Wilson, Beasleyla@ncleg.net
James L. Boles (R-52)
Office: 919-733-5903
Main: 910-692-6262
Asst: Dina Long, Bolesla@ncleg.net
William D. Brisson (R-22)
Office: 919-733-5772
Main: 910-862-7007
Asst: Caroline Stirling, Brissonla@ncleg.net
Becky Carney (D-102)
Office: 919-733-5827
Main: 919-733-5827
Asst: Beth LeGrande, Carneyla@ncleg.net
Ted Davis, Jr. (R-19)
Office: 919-733-5786
Main: 910-763-6249
Asst: Andrew Bowers, Davistla@ncleg.net
Jimmy Dixon (R-4)
Office: 919-715-3021
Main: 910-590-1740
Asst: Michael Wiggins, Dixonla@ncleg.net
Elmer Floyd (D-43)
Office: 919-733-5959
Main: 910-488-6903
Asst: Mildred Alston, Floydla@ncleg.net
John A. Fraley (R-95)
Office: 919-733-5741
Main: 917-854-9793
Asst: Jan Copeland, Fraleyla@ncleg.net
Holly Grange (R-20)
Office: 919-733-5830
Main: 919-733-5830
Asst: Joanna K. Almquist, Grangela@ncleg.net
Jon Hardister (R-59)
Office: 919-733-5191
Main: 919-733-5191
Asst: Jayne Nelson, Hardisterla@ncleg.net
Kelly E. Hastings (R-110)
Office: 919-715-2002
Main: 704-473-3468
Asst: James Jenkins, Hastingsla@ncleg.net
Yvonne Lewis Holley (D-38)
Office: 919-733-5758
Main: 919-828-3873
Asst: Lee Lewis, Holleyla@ncleg.net
Howard J. Hunter III (D-5)
Office: 919-733-5780
Main: 252-332-3189
Asst: Brenda Bennett, Hunterla@ncleg.net
Darren G. Jackson (D-39)
Office: 919-733-5974
Main: 919-733-5974
Asst: Angela McMillan, Jacksonla@ncleg.net
Linda P. Johnson (R-82)
Office: 919-733-5861
Main: 704-932-1376
Asst: Rhonda Todd, Johnsonla@ncleg.net
Amos L. Quick III (D-58)
Office: 919-733-5902
Main: 919-733-5902
Asst: Jasmine I. Quick, Quickla@ncleg.net
Robert T. Reives II (D-54)
Office: 919-733-0057
Main: 919-733-0057
Asst: Veronica Green, Reivesla@ncleg.net
Stephen M. Ross (R-63)
Office: 919-733-5820
Main: 919-733-5820
Asst: Tammy Ross, Rosssla@ncleg.net
Jason Saine (R-97)
Office: 919-733-5782
Main: 704-479-1803
Asst: Elise Yost, Sainela@ncleg.net
Shelly Willingham (D-23)
Office: 919-715-3024
Main: 252-442-8659
Asst: Johnna Smith, Willinghamla@ncleg.net
Michael H. Wray (D-27)
Office: 919-733-5662
Main: 252-535-3297
Asst: Susan Burleson, Wrayla@ncleg.net
Copy/paste Rules Committee Members –
David.Lewis@ncleg.net; John.Szoka@ncleg.net; John.Torbett@ncleg.net; Gale.Adcock@ncleg.net; Lisa.Barnes@ncleg.net; Chaz.Beasley@ncleg.net; Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net; William.Brisson@ncleg.net; Becky.Carney@ncleg.net; Ted.Davis@ncleg.net; Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net; Elmer.Floyd@ncleg.net; John.Fraley@ncleg.net; Holly.Grange@ncleg.net; Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net; Yvonne.Holley@ncleg.net; Howard.Hunter@ncleg.net; Darren.Jackson@ncleg.net; LindaP.Johnson@ncleg.net; Amos.Quick@ncleg.net; Robert.Reives@ncleg.net; Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net; Jason.Saine@ncleg.net; Shelly.Willingham@ncleg.net; Michael.Wray@ncleg.net
Copy/paste for Assistants to Representatives on the Rules Committee
Lewisla@ncleg.net; Szokala@ncleg.net; Torbettla@ncleg.net; Adcockla@ncleg.net; Barnesla@ncleg.net; Beasleyla@ncleg.net; Bolesla@ncleg.net; Brissonla@ncleg.net; Carneyla@ncleg.net; Davistla@ncleg.net; Dixonla@ncleg.net; Floydla@ncleg.net; Fraleyla@ncleg.net; Grangela@ncleg.net; Hardisterla@ncleg.net; Hastingsla@ncleg.net; Holleyla@ncleg.net; Hunterla@ncleg.net; Jacksonla@ncleg.net; Johnsonla@ncleg.net; Quickla@ncleg.net; Reivesla@ncleg.net; Rosssla@ncleg.net; Sainela@ncleg.net; Willinghamla@ncleg.net; Wrayla@ncleg.net
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