IMPORTANT: LD 783 Is Not Dead

From our ever stalwart Local Food RULES activist Bonnie Preston:

After a couple of days of being really bummed out about the Senate vote on the Constitutional amendment bill (LD 783), I am thrilled to report that it is not dead. It was rushed through the Senate without any discussion, after caucus meetings (both parties) that were very negative and filled with misinformation and invective. The House has now insisted to the Senate that they hold a proper session, with floor speeches and discussion, and “recede and concur.” in essence, hold another vote. This likely will happen on Monday.

We have the weekend to flood Senators with e-mails and phone calls. Representatives Craig Hickman, Karl Ward and Don Marean all made floor speeches in the House which were heartfelt and rousing. They are at least a part of why we won in the house with the overwhelming numbers that we did. Thank you messages to these three would be really nice! Karl and Don are both GOP. Craig is a Democrat and the originator of the bill. Bipartisanship at its best.

Check this list of Senate votes, remembering that a No vote is on our side and a Yes vote is not–note that the motion was to accept the minority report. If your Senator voted with us, thank them and ask if they will talk to others in their party who may have voted against us about changing their vote. If your Senator voted on the wrong side, ask him or her to reconsider and give your reasons. If they will be running for reelection in Nov., let them know this is a vote you will take very seriously when making your decision on who to vote for.

We won this in the House; now let’s win it in the Senate!

Bonnie

Joel Salatin in Augusta!

MAINE: Get on the Bus for GMO Labeling and Right to Food in Maine! What: Rally and public hearing on GMO labeling bill and Right to Food amendment When: Thursday, April 30th 2015. Rally begins at noon. Public hearing begins at 1 p.m.  Where: Rally outside the State house; Public hearing at 214 Cross Building, State House Complex, Augusta, Maine We are closing in on a couple of big wins for food consumers in Maine, but we need your help to convince lawmakers to protect Maine citizens, not Monsanto’s profits.  A bipartisan GMO labeling bill (LD 991) and a Right to Food amendment (LD 783) are headed for public hearings in the Maine legislature on Thursday, April 30. We need your support to make sure these bills are passed. So, to make it easier for you to attend the rally and public hearing, OCA will pay for buses from Portland, Bangor and Unity.  RSVP here for a free ride from Portland, Bangor or Unity to a rally and public hearing on GMO labeling and the Right to Food at the Maine State House on Thursday, April 30. Or plan your own car pool! LD 991: Maine passed a GMO labeling law in 2013, but it included a trigger clause that requires five other New England states, including New Hampshire, to pass labeling laws before Maine’s law can take effect.  LD991, “An Act To Amend Maine’s Genetically Modified Food Products Labeling Law” would remove that trigger so the law can be enacted, giving Mainers the right to know now–not years from now. Monsanto lobbyists are fighting tooth and nail to kill this bill and keep consumers in the dark. Their interference delayed a public hearing that should have happened weeks ago. Now they are concerned about what will happen when this bipartisan bill reaches public debate.  Almost 97 percent of Mainers support mandatory labeling of genetically modified food. And no wonder. Last month’s declaration by the World Health Organization that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup (sprayed on 84 percent of GMO foods) is a probable carcinogen has made it more urgent than ever that Maine consumers have the right to know if their food contains genetically modified ingredients. Maine should take the lead on this issue and give Mainers the chance to decide for themselves if they want to eat genetically modified food. You can make it happen. RSVP here for a free ride from Portland, Bangor or Unity to a rally and public hearing on GMO labeling and the Right to Food. LD 783, “RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Establish a Right to Food” LD 783 is a bill that proposes to amend the Maine constitution in order to give people the right to acquire food of our choosing and ensure their legal right to protect their health, property, food and lives. The Right to Food bill states: “Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to food and to acquire food for that individual’s own nourishment and sustenance by hunting, gathering, foraging, farming, fishing or gardening or by barter, trade or purchase from sources of that individual’s own choosing, and every individual is fully responsible for the exercise of this right, which may not be infringed.” Increasingly, corporate food monopolies control our right to access the food of our choosing. And when they go to court to maintain that control, they often win. LD 783 would protect the rights of Maine citizens, not the “rights” of Big Food. We need a 2/3 majority vote to get this bill before the people. The first step is to urge the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to pass the bill unanimously out of committee.  We need your help to do that. RSVP here for a free ride from Portland, Bangor or Unity to a rally and public hearing on GMO labeling and the Right to Food. Help us convince our legislators to pass this resolution and send the constitutional amendment proposal to a referendum vote this fall. Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farm in Virginia, a leading voice for diversified eco-farming, will join us at the hearing to speak in favor of the Right to Food amendment.  Let’s put Article 25 in Maine’s Bill of Rights. Food is Life. We have a right to it.  RSVP here for a free ride from Portland, Bangor or Unity to a rally and public hearing on GMO labeling and the Right to Food. Facebook event for the Public hearing: https://www.facebook.com/events/1480434938898170/ RSVP for a bus: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1wvOLt0jOiFD-m-cQKNIOGC8V-SPgrL1Kef0_fbIU0d8/viewform More about LD 991: http://www.mainelegislature.org/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280055641 More about LD 783 http://www.mainelegislature.org/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280055343 Donate for #MaineLabelGMOsNOW! https://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50865/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=11927 See you on April 30! Thanks!