Update Alert
April 23, 2007
UPDATE: SB 1428 passes the Arizona House
SB 1428, to rid Arizona of a mandatory NAIS, was approved by the Arizona House by a vote of 57-1 (with 2 not voting). Unfortunately, the House also approved an amendment to take out the right to withdraw - the Agriculture Department argued that the federal government controls the database, so the State can't provide an absolute right to withdraw. Since the USDA has promised to allow opt-outs, we will have to continue our efforts on that front.
The bill now goes back to the Senate for reconciliation. Senator Johnson will probably concur with the amendment, so it will not need to be heard by a conference committee. The House version of the bill will then be voted on by the Senate, most likely next week. And then we go to the Governor.
The outlook is good in the Senate, given the 19-10 vote of the previous version of the bill. But please take a moment to call your Senator again and let him or her know that you want this bill passed. If you don't know who your legislator is, go to: www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContactMember.asp.
This final version of SB 1428 is far from a perfect bill. But the current law allows a mandatory program to be implemented, so SB 1428 is an important first step to rolling back NAIS in Arizona. We all owe Senator Johnson a big "Thank you" for her efforts to bring this issue to the light in the Arizona legislature. And if we get SB 1428 passed, we will not stop there - we will continue educating the public and the legislators so that we can get more in the next session.
As always, if you have questions or concerns, you can reach us at: noah@libertyark.net