Missouri Set to Get Ohio's Issue 2---Act now!

For those in Missouri, we need to get on this!

We have only a few days left in session at Jefferson City. We have a very, very negative bill looking to go through the Senate and we have got to get active against it or be faced with a myriad of committees acting like the "Milk Board" and telling us all what we have to do, how we must do it, and when in order to remain engaged in agriculture.

SB 795 is the Omnibus Ag Act, and it is compilation of a lot of good intentions gone awry. The good bits cannot be separated from the bad bits at this point.

This bill is a serious affront to anyone who loves freedom...To be ruled by non-elected unaccountable committees is actually a Soviet system of governance, and SB 795 sets that up in agriculture quite succinctly. While there are tremendous concerns with the food supply and it's safety for consumption, as well as the attempts by the HSUS to control how animals are raised (with their real intent to STOP all animal ownership as the final goal), the oversight to be established by LAW in Missouri via SB 795 is completely unacceptable. Warm fuzzy language aside, the establishment of committees dominated by corporate ag will hasten the destruction to independent agriculture that the policies employed by the USDA for decades have caused.

The bill does the following, with all of the agency authority to promulgate rules and regulations behind it:

Sets up a committee of major agribusiness proponents to establish 'acceptable' animal care standards. This is Ohio's Issue 2, just in Missouri instead.

Sets up a committee to oversee "Urban Agriculture".

Sets up a misdirected attempt to further local food producers access to market by establishing a "sustainable" "farm to institution" initiative ---WITH the authority to promulgate rules and regulations regarding the initiative. There is concern that the committee establishing the guidelines for 'animal care' will have oversight of this program as well and the group pushing for this initiative would like the bill killed as it has been 'adulterated'.

Establishes in law the 'right to own animals' so long as they are raised in accordance with 'standards' set by the University of Missouri. This section also seriously threatens local control and private property rights.

Establishes licensing requirements for egg selling.

Establishes very complex licensing requirements for 'blasters' with a highly specific exemption list that does -NOT- clearly preclude reloaders as exempt from licensing requirements.

It also establishes horse slaughter and provides highly specific requirements for engagement in that activity. One of the requirements is that should someone purchase more than 5 pounds of horse meat, the seller must take their name address and contact information and hold that for disclosure to an interested authority.

It also does a few other things, but overall, this bill is very unfriendly to freedom and it fails to meaningfully address the real issues that cause agriculture to be a difficult field to negotiate a viable living through.

If you love freedom or good food, or farming, you need to oppose this bill and oppose it quickly. The last week of session begins on Monday the 10th and the Citizens of Missouri would be better off with this bill being killed than if it passes.

Please call the Senate and tell them to vote NO on SB795 and stop all these committees and task forces from being established in statute and ruling how independent agriculture can conduct itself. Let's fight HSUS with facts instead of letting further consolidation of agriculture markets occur because we are afraid of this bunch of Horribly Sadistic Urban Sociopaths.

Find the Senate roster at and let's fill up the answering machines and continue to call all week until they vote SB795 down!

In Liberty,

Doreen