Action Alert

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Action Alert

March 26, 2007

ASK THE COMMITTEE TO HEAR THE ANTI-NAIS BILLS

The two anti-NAIS bills in Massachusetts now have bill numbers: HB 757 and SB 475. HB 757 (House Docket 1324) forbids the MDAR from accepting federal funds for NAIS in 2007, requires MDAR to stop uploading data to the federal database, and seeks removal for people who were involuntarily enrolled. SB 475 (Senate Docket 1472) includes all of those provisions and adds important protections. SB 475 precludes MDAR from using other existing programs, such as scrapie, as a means to implement NAIS. This provision is important because Agriculture Departments in other states have already used programs, such as the tuberculosis program, to establish NAIS. The agency can still continue its existing programs, and the Legislature can always decide to provide for a new disease-control program. SB 475 merely stops the agency from establishing a premises registration or animal identification program without legislative authorization.

SB 475 also prohibits any person, whether private or governmental, from discriminating against people who do not participate in NAIS or programs like it. This means that anyone who chooses not to be part of the program will be able to buy feed, sell at auction, use slaughterhouses, go to shows and fairs, and everything else we do now, without any pressure to sign up for NAIS. SB 475 addresses the needs of all those who own livestock in MA, regardless of scale, species or use.

Both bills have been assigned to the Joint Committee on Natural Resources, Agriculture and the Environment, but no hearing has been scheduled. The Chair of the Committee is Senator Pam Resor. Call, email, or fax Senator Resor and ask her to set HB 757 and SB 475 for a hearing as soon as possible!

Email: Pamela.Resor@state.ma.us
Address: State House, Room 410, Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1120
Fax: (617) 722-1089

For more information on the Joint Committee, its members, office, etc. visit: www.mass.gov/legis/comm/j21.htm.

Please also contact your Representative and Senator about SB 475. If you do not know who your legislators are, go to:
wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php
We need all of the legislators to know about NAIS and how their constituents feel it! A sample letter and talking points are included at the end of this alert.

If you have any questions about SB 475, please contact Pat Stewart, Massachusetts SmallHolders Alliance, at Farm@hamesaxle.com or 978-827-1305.

CONTACT THE GOVERNOR

Governor Deval Patrick has set up a website to get the public's perspectives on issues. Pat Stewart has listed "Small Farm Protection," which includes NAIS, as one of the issues at devalpatrick.com/issue/farmprotection. You can sign on to show support for this issue, or begin your own. The Governor probably has not heard much about farming or NAIS before, and the sooner we educate him, the better. Be polite, concise, and help the Governor to understand why NAIS should be a key issue for all of Massachusetts!

You can also send an email or make a suggestion to policy/devalpatrick.com in the area of Economic Development.

GET YOUR FRIENDS TO SIGN UP TO SUPPORT LIBERTY ARK'S FIGHT AGAINST NAIS. SEND THEM THIS LINK: libertyark.net/pledge.dyn

Sample letter:

Dear Representative (or Senator) _______:

I am a _________ (small farmer, consumer of local foods, horse owner, taxpayer. Tell them a little bit about yourself and why you care about this issue). I am writing to ask that you support SB 475, which would prevent the establishment of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) in Massachusetts.

If it is made mandatory, NAIS would require that every person who owns even one chicken, horse, cow, sheep, goat, pig, or other livestock animal:

Identify each animal with an internationally unique 15-digit number when they are moved from their herd of origin or commingled with other animals. For many species, the identification would be electronic. Factory farms will be able to use "group numbers," but most small farmers and pet owners will not qualify.

Track their animals: The owner must report, within 24 hours, events such as tagging the animal, death or slaughter, public and private sales, and regional shows.

I am opposed to NAIS because it will impose heavy burdens on our rights and our economy, without providing any real benefits. NAIS is an unprecedented expansion of the government bureaucracy into people's private lives and infringes on our property rights. Neither the US Department of Agriculture nor the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) has provided any scientific basis for the claims of improved disease control. Neither agency has done a cost-benefit analysis of the program, either. There are many more effective, less expensive, and less intrusive methods for improving animal health and addressing animal disease.

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. If the federal government ultimately decides to implement NAIS, it can do so - our state should not.

SB 475 would:

stop the MDAR from accepting federal funds in 2007 to implement NAIS;

stop the uploading of data on Massachusetts residents into the federal database;

allow for the removal of data on those people who have been involuntarily enrolled;

preclude MDAR from using other existing programs as a means to implement NAIS, while still allowing the state to continue existing programs and implement new disease-specific programs as needed; and

prohibits any person, whether private or governmental, from discriminating against people who do not participate in NAIS or programs like it.

SB 475 is critical to protecting our rights, the health of our animals, and the health of our economy. I urge you to support this bill, and to work with the Joint Committee on Natural Resources to have it approved as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your attention to this issue.

Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Email if you have it

Talking points for calls:

NAIS is an important issue to me and many other people in Massachusetts. SB 475 deserves a hearing.

NAIS will hurt Massachusetts's economy:

There has been no cost analysis

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, lowering demand for local foods

By imposing unnecessary costs, NAIS will fuel 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 held by the government and private industry will provide a target for hackers.

NAIS infringes on people's constitutional rights, including due process, privacy, and religious freedom.

NAIS unfairly burdens pet owners and people who raise food for themselves.

USDA states that NAIS is voluntary at the federal level, so there is no "federal mandate" requiring Massachusetts to implement this program.