Action Alert
May 17, 2007
Louisiana Livestock Farm Freedom Act
goes to
Committee, Tuesday, May 22
Support SB 246 to stop the National Animal ID System (NAIS) in
Louisiana! SB 246, the Livestock Farm Freedom Act, would completely
bar any government-run NAIS in Louisiana, and imposes limitations on
private programs so that people are not coerced into them. You can
read the bill at:
www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=427352.
The Senate Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development Committee will hold a hearing on the bill on Tuesday, May 22. We do not have a room number yet. You can call the committee staff at (225) 342-2040 on Monday to confirm the time and location.
TAKE ACTION: Call all of the Committee members NOW to support SB 246!! Contact information is below, along with talking points and a sample email.
And come to the hearing! We need a strong show of support for the bill.
Remember, always be polite and to the point. Calls are the best approach! If you use email, put "Support SB 246" in the subject line.
If you have any questions, email us at .
COMMITTEE MEMBERS' CONTACT INFORMATION
Senator Kenneth M. "Mike" Smith, (318) 628-3075, smithmi@legis.state.la.us
Senator Gerald J. Theunissen, (337) 824-0376, theunisg@legis.state.la.us
Senator Robert J. Barham, (318) 244-5582, barhamr@legis.state.la.us
Senator Walter J. Boasso, (504) 270-9258, boassow@legis.state.la.us
Senator D. A. "Butch" Gautreaux, (800) 562-3204, lasen21@legis.state.la.us
Senator Joe McPherson, (318) 484-2211, lasen29@legis.state.la.us
Senator Ben Nevers, (985) 732-6863, websen@legis.state.la.us
Senator Heulette "Clo" Fontenot, (225) 686-0108, fontenoc@legis.state.la.us
TALKING POINTS FOR CALLS
Begin with: "I want you to support SB 246 and stop NAIS in Louisiana." Then you can talk about the reasons NAIS should be stopped and this bill should be passed:
NAIS will hurt Louisiana's economy:
- There has been no cost analysis by USDA or Louisiana Department of Agriculture
- Costs of the program include the cost of the tags, hardware, software, time and labor
- Many small farmer and ranchers cannot afford these costs
- Service providers (veterinarians, feed stores, auction houses, meat processors, etc.) will be harmed when the farmers and ranchers go out of business.
- Remaining farmers will pass the costs on to consumers, adding to inflation
Neither the USDA nor the state agency has scientific proof show that NAIS will improve disease control:
- It does not address the cause, treatment, or transmission of disease, in domestic or wild animals.
- It does not significantly improve on current methods for identification and tracking of disease.
NAIS is not necessary for the market. Age- and source-verification is already available through the USDA's Process Verified Program
NAIS will not improve food safety:
- USDA itself has stated that this is not a food safety program
- Contamination of food with e. coli and other bacteria occurs at the slaughterhouse or afterwards, while NAIS will stop before that point.
NAIS will not protect against terrorism:
- The microchips chosen by the state can be cloned, destroyed, or infected with computer viruses, and reprogrammed. Any terrorist or thief can use this.
- The database of information, created by the state agency and available to USDA, will provide a target for hackers.
NAIS infringes on people's constitutional rights, including due process, privacy, and religious freedom.
USDA states that NAIS is voluntary at the federal level, so there is no "federal mandate" requiring Louisiana to implement this program.
Other states are also rejecting or limiting NAIS, so Louisiana will not be disadvantaged by refusing to participate. Arizona has adopted a law barring mandatory NAIS, and Missouri is considering a law to bar any NAIS.
SAMPLE EMAIL - personalize for the greatest effect
Subject line: "Support SB 246"
Dear Senator _______________:
I urge you to support SB 246, which would stop the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) from being implemented in Louisiana.
I am a ____ (small farmer, consumer, taxpayer - tell them a sentence about yourself). I am opposed to NAIS because it will impose heavy burdens on our rights and our economy, without providing any real benefits. Neither the USDA nor the Louisiana Department of Agriculture has provided any scientific basis for the claims of improved disease control. NAIS is an unprecedented expansion of the government bureaucracy into people's private lives and infringes on our property rights. NAIS will drive many small and medium-size farmers and ranchers out of business and discourage people from owning horses and other livestock as pets, resulting in far-reaching effects on our economy. The only winners in this program are the microchip manufacturers, the associations that will manage the databases, and the government employees.
Again, I urge you to support SB 246. Thank you for your attention to this issue.
Name
Address
City, State, Zip