Anita Messenger, Arkansas Animal Producers Association: The Freedom to Farm Act HB1046 to limit the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) to voluntary in Arkansas has already been passed through the Arkansas House of Representatives with 60 YES votes. But it is now hung up in the Senate Ag Committee. Six of the 8 Senators on that committee are not involved in agriculture or animals in this state. Senator Wyatt is on this committee and owns 6,000 acres of farm ground and 1,000 head of cattle. He's FOR the Freedom to Farm Act. This Act will insure that the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) remains completely VOLUNTARY in Arkansas at the state level. Sen. Ruth Whitaker is also voting for this Act. We need THREE more YES votes on that committee to get it out of there and to the full Senate floor for a vote there. Senator Taylor is leaning toward voting for the Act. We have approx. 10 days of this legislative session left to get this done.
Arkansas has hundreds of thousands of Arkansas animal owners who will be adversely affected by the NAIS if it is allowed to become mandatory in Arkansas. And these animal owners ARE working to help get this bill passed by emailing, calling, faxing those six senators on that ag committee, telling them to change their vote on HB1046 and to give it a DO PASS out of that committee.
They need your help and are asking YOU to help them protect Arkansas small agriculture businesses in the next five days by calling the committee members and your Senator and demanding that this act be passed. Three of these Senators sat in the Act's first hearing two weeks ago and ADMITTED on record that they know NOTHING about the NAIS or how it will affect Arkansas animal owners. And yet they are saying they won't vote for the Freedom to Farm Act even when they admit not knowing what they are talking about. It is most disturbing that people who are not involved with agriculture are on a Ag committee making decisions for the people in the Ag business and not listening to Ag business owners on such serious issues as the NAIS.
Included in this post are a few charts of Arkansas livestock ownership,from the USDA's own farm surveys - they show beyond a shadow of a doubt that the vast majority of Arkansas animal owners are the Small Businesses that the NAIS will hit the hardest. If you own Horses, there is a report tilted "Economic Impact of the NAIS on Horse Owners and Horse Shows" which uses the USDA's own documents and points out that the NAIS sucks in over 30 species of animals - owning just ONE animal of one of those species gets you. No exceptions, all inclusive.
Sen. Luker is the Chair on this Ag committee said this week if three more Senators will agree to vote "Yes" on the bill, he'll bring the Act up for a vote immediately. If not passed this year, it will be two years before Small Ag businesses will have the opportunity to try again for Freedom to Farm Act. Hard to believe, we live in Arkansas, where small Ag businesses have been a mainstay in the culture and now "Freedom" is threatened. If not passed now, NAIS may be mandatory (100% for every owner of animals) within the next two years.
We are being told that "nothing gets through this committee unless Jon Fitch of the Ark. Livestock & Poultry is FOR it" - but Mr. Fitch doesn't own everyone else's animals! This appears to be a last chance for Arkansas. This bill helps protect Arkansas! Missouri passed a law limiting NAIS a year ago. Now it is time for Arkansas. Remember: A vote against the Freedom to Farm Act is a vote against Arkansas animal owners. Our animals are OUR property - not the government's! We need the Freedom to Farm ACT NOW. Please call/email/fax the Arkansas senators below. If you get a busy signal, that is what we want - to keep things so tied up for the next several days that they cannot do anything else. And they do NOT want that happening at the end of the legislative session right now. We need them to listen to us! | Arkansas Senate Ag Committee: ------------------------------------- | |
| Sen. Mary Anne Salmon (D) 29 Heritage Park Circle, NLR, AR 72116 Hm: 501-753-4521 Bus: 501-753-4521 Fax: 501-753-2492 msalmon@arkleg.state.ar.us Sen. Gene H. Jeffress 1483 Ouachita 47, Louann, AR 71751 Hm: 870-689-3537 mailto:gjeffress@arkleg.state.ar.us Sen. Jimmy L. Jeffress (D) P.O. Box 904, Crossett, AR 71635 Hm: 870-364-8291 jjeffress@arkleg.state.ar.us | Sen. Jerry Taylor (D) 6203 Ridgewood Dr., Pine Bluff, AR 71603 Hm: 870-879-3233 Bus: 870-540-9423 FAX: 870-535-7970 taylorj@arkleg.state.ar.us Sen. Jim Luker (D) CHAIR PO Box 216, Wynne, AR 72396 Hm: 870-238-2223 Bus: 870-238-8588 FAX: 870-238-7680 lukerj@arkleg.state.ar.us Sen. Shane Broadway (D) 201 SE 2nd, Bryant, AR 72022 Hm: 501-682-6050 sbroadway@arkleg.state.ar.us |
| Orgs./Groups Supporting the Freedom to Farm Act HB1046: | |
| Arkansas Animal Producer's Association North American Rural Land Owner's Assoc. United States Boer Goat Association Farm Bureau Coalition For the Freedom to Farm R-CALF, USA Secure Arkansas Arkansas Horse Council International Dairy Goat Registry The Cornucopia Institute International Texas Longhorn Assoc. Arkansas Companion Dog Breeder's Assoc. Arkansas Equine Sales Concerned Citizens of the Counties of Arkansas Liberty Ark Coalition | Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance Arkansas Eagle Forum Gorton Land Surveying, Ltd. Town & Country Properties Weston A. Price Foundation Farm-to-Consumers Legal Defense Fund Debbie's Awesome Blossom Nursery PRCA Group of Arkansas, Inc. (Pro Rodeo) Arkansas Rodeo News Ouachita Goat & Sheep Producer's Assoc. Organic Consumers Assoc. American Goat Society Clark County Livestock Feed Little Flat Farm and more! |
| "Animal Owners Working Together"- We need the Arkansas Freedom to Farm Act HB1046 | |
Tags: Animal Id, ARAPA, Arkansas, Arkansas Animal Producer's Association, NAIS, National Animal Identification System To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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