2015 Legislative Session - Current Step
March 10
SB 30 PASSED the house chamber today! There was as much debate about it as I've yet heard about a bill but in the end it passed 81 to 19! What a margin to pass by! Because the bill was amended in the house, it now has to go back to the senate for another vote there. I look for that to happen tomorrow, Thursday at the latest. We are SO CLOSE to having access to wonderful, delicious, fresh, raw milk!
March 8
SB 30 had it's first reading in the House Chamber on Saturday. It is listed for its second reading on Monday the 9th. In the Senate, they moved to go ahead and vote on it after the second reading. I don't know if that will happen in the House or not. I'll be listening in and will post whatever happens tomorrow. There is still time for calls/emails to anyone you can, but especially the delegate representing your district. We are so close - don't quit contacting the legislature yet!
March 6
This is amazing! SB 30 PASSED the HHR Committee yesterday by a vote of 18-4! They did add a few things for clarification and they changed the bill to remove any involvement of the Health Department. I think all of their changes were excellent. The changes do mean the bill will have to go back to the Senate for another vote after it clears the House Chamber, but I don't think any of their changes will pose a problem in the senate. The new wording of SB 30 can be found here. On to the entire House Chamber! Calls/emails to anyone you can would be great, but especially the delegate representing your district. Let's make a final push to get this bill passed!
March 4
I don't know what happened on Tuesday, but the health committee meeting was not broadcast at 3. I've heard reports they met later in the evening, but have been unable to confirm that. Regardless, they are meeting again tomorrow, March 5, at 2pm. So there is one more last chance to call or email the members of the House Health and Human Resources Committee if you haven't already done so and politely ask them to vote in favor of SB 30. We're coming down to the wire. If SB 30 fails the health committee, we're done for the year. If it passes, it should go to the House Chamber for a vote there. There's still a very real chance to get herd shares passed this year!
March 2
SB 30 is on the agenda of the House Health and Human Resources Committee TOMORROW (March 3) at 3pm. Last chance to call or email the members of the House Health and Human Resources Committee if you haven't already done so and politely ask them to vote in favor of SB 30.
Previous Updates
To simplify this page, as I post new updates the old ones will be moved to the Previous Updages page.
2015 Proposed Bills - Senate
Raw milk sales has been introduced in the senate by Senator Daniel Hall. After a few weeks in subcommittee, the bill emerged reworded as a Herd Shares bill. The new committee substitute is linked below.
SB 30 - Herd Shares (history)
2015 Proposed Bills - House
Raw milk sales AND herd shares have been introduced in the house by Delegate Kelli Sobonya:
HB 2448 - Raw Milk Sales (history)
HB 2449 - Herd Shares (history)
2015 Submitted Letters
Round 5
SB-30 was voted on a day early in the Senate, so I didn't get emails out to the entire Senate Chamber. God didn't need me there and it passed anyway lol. The bill was then sent to the House where it was referred to the House Health and Human Resources Committee. Here is my letter to them (it's pretty much the same as what I emailed the Senate Health Committee). I also took time to email the known supporters a thank you.
Letter to House Health Committee - Unknown Support Status
Letter to House Health Committee - Known Supporters
Round 4
Since raw milk didn't go so well in the ag committee, and herd shares is gaining momentum, I emailed the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee asking them to forget raw milk and focus on herd shares. Here is that letter. I emailed a very similar version with a thank you to any known supporters or those I herd back from (which I didn't copy here).
Second Letter to House Ag Committee - Unknown Support Status
Round 3
Here is the letter I emailed to every member of the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee. The letter to those whose raw milk support status is linked first. The second letter thanking the three Senators who already support raw milk (Karnes and Trump via sponsorship, Laird via a yes vote on the ag committee) is linked second. I do have word that Ferns and Leonhardt are supporters, but sent them the first letter anyway, since I have not talked directly to them.
Letter to Senate Health Committee - Unknown Support Status
Letter to Senate Health Committee - Confirmed Supporters
Round 2
Here is the letter I emailed to every member of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee whose raw milk support status was unknown. That only left Evans and Smith (who Ernie has talked to on the phone and who both confirmed their support) and Miller and Folk (who are both bill sponsors this year). I had hoped to send those 4 an email thanking them for their support but did not have time to do so. Amy Summers and Linda Phillips both responded with nice emails stating their support. Thank you ladies!
Letter to House Ag Committee - Unknown Support Status
Round 1
Here is the letter I wrote and emailed to every member of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee who was a sponsor of the bill and thus a known raw milk supporter.
Letter to Senate Ag Committee - Raw Milk Supporters
Here is the letter I wrote and emailed to every member of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee whose support status was unknown.
Letter to Senate Ag Committee - Unknown Support Status
From this round of letters I received nice responses from both Bob Williams and Charles Trump. They are sponsors of the bill so are already raw milk supporters, but it speaks very well of them both that they took time to respond. Thank you Senators William and Trump! After the meeting I received an email from Robert Karnes (another bill sponsor) who said he is "encouraged by what I see related to raw milk sales." Yay!!!! Thank you Senator Karnes!
2015 News Articles
Leading up to the 2015 session, some early news articles appeared in both the Dominion Post and the Charleston Daily Mail. I was able to get responses posted to both in the form of Letters to the Editor. The Charleston Daily News also interviewed us and wrote a second article in favor of raw milk. Yay to them!!
The Charleston Daily Mail Series (From November)
November 18, 2014: Charleston Daily Mail by Joel Ebert
Dairy farmer defends ban of raw milk sales
November 24, 2014: Charleston Daily Mail by Katie Fazenbaker (Letter to the Editor)
Legalizing raw milk would not hurt dairy farmers (copy of the text of my letter can be found here)
November 24, 2014: Charleston Daily Mail by Joel Ebert
Debate over raw milk ban continues
The Dominion Post Series (From November)
November 19, 2014: The Dominion Post by David Beard
Dairy farmer: Raw milk can make people sick (a longer version appeared in the print edition of the paper)
November 20, 2014: The Dominion Post by no author listed
Extension agent: raw milk can carry tuberculosis
November 21, 2014: The Dominion Post by Conor Griffith
Potential for illness tied to raw milk (did not appear online, only in print edition)
November 27, 2014: The Dominion Post by Ernie Fazenbaker (Letter to the Editor)
Did not appear online, only in print edition (copy of the text of my letter as sent in can be found here)
December 3, 2014: The Dominion Post by Carl W. Sypolt (Letter to the Editor)
Pass law to provide choice on raw milk (did not appear online, only in print edition)
Other Articles
January 16, 2015: The Charleston Daily Mail: Capitol Notebook by Joel Ebert
Raw milk, Cervid Farming Act on Monday's committee agenda
February 9, 2015: The Charleston Daily Mail by Joel Ebert
Bill to loosen reins on raw milk moves forward
February 10, 2015: The Charleston Daily Mail by Matt Murphy
Raw milk passes news room taste test
February 17, 2015: The Charleston Daily Mail by Joel Ebert
Raw milk bill advances in senate
February 20, 2015: MetroNews by Jeff Jenkins
Senate passes raw milk, nonpartisan election of judges bills