
Three great bills that will help small farmers and increase access to healthy, nutrient-dense foods for Texans have passed the Texas House. But they still have to get through the Senate, and if they don’t get committee hearings by next week, they will die.
If you act now, these bills still have a chance!
Read more about the bills below
Over 1,000 bills have been passed by the House, and now have to compete for time and attention in the Senate. Your calls today are essential to keep these three important bills alive!
Call your Texas State Senator now!
You can look up who represents you at Who is My Texas Legislator?
And tell them:
Sample script: “Hi, my name is ___ and I live in [town]. I’m calling to ask my Senator to support three great bills for small farmers: HB 2945, HB 3373, and HB 3857.
[SHARE A FEW SENTENCES ABOUT WHY YOU CARE: Are you a farmer who is directly impacted? A consumer who wants more access to affordable local foods].
I ask that my Senator co-author all of these bills and help them get hearings.”
Those two minutes of your time can really make a difference in these bills’ chances of becoming law!
More Information on each bill:
- Get better access to locally raised eggs: HB 2945
HB 2945 provides new opportunities for farmers, and better access to locally raised eggs for consumers, by allowing small farmers to sell ungraded eggs to restaurants and retailers without the burdens of grading (which is a marketing program and provides no health & safety benefits).
- Protect small produce farms from government overreach: HB 3373
WAPF was part of the national coalition that successfully fought to get small produce farms exempted from new regulations at the federal level back in 2010. But the Texas Department of Agriculture is ignoring those exemptions, and requiring every small produce farmer to allow government officials to come onto their farm. HB 3373 clarifies that TDA’s authority does not extend to imposing this intrusive requirement on small Texas farmers.
- Provide fair taxes for small farmers: HB 3857
Counties across the state are unfairly denying “agricultural valuation” on small farmers – and they flatly deny that raising fruits and vegetables is an agricultural activity! HB 3857 says that raising “fruits and vegetables” counts as agriculture and sets up a process to develop clear, fair guidelines for all small farmers to get the same tax benefits as large ones.
Read more about these and other bills to help small farmers & local food producers on the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance’s website at Legislative Updates – Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance
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