Action Alert
April 9, 2007
Tennesee House Committee on Agriculture Hearing
We have just gotten word that one of Representative Niceley's bills
will be heard by the Agriculture Committee tomorrow. You can view the
bill online at:
www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/HB0976.pdf.
The bill, as originally introduced, would prohibit the Department of
Agriculture from participating in the establishment of NAIS.
Representative Niceley will introduce an amendment to the bill that would bar a mandatory, but not voluntary, program. The amendment will also include language that would bar a coercive program, so that "voluntary" means what it's supposed to mean. This may not be a perfect bill, but it's a good start.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 10, at 9:30 am
WHERE: Room 29 of the Legislative Plaza
ACTION: If you can, come to the hearing and testify. HB 976 is just one of 16 bills on the agenda, so there may not be a lot of time for people to speak. If you come, bring written testimony with you. Bring 17 copies of your testimony - one for each committee member and one for the record.
If you can't come to the hearing, contact all the committee members ASAP to support the bill. A phone call is best. If you use email, be sure to put "Support HB 976" in the subject line. Contact information, talking points, and a sample letter are below.
You should also contact your own Representative and Senator. If
you are not sure who your legislators are, go to:
www.legislature.state.tn.us/,
click on "House," then "members," and then scroll down to the bottom
of the page. You can find your legislator based on what county you
live in.
You can get in-depth arguments against NAIS at www.libertyark.net. And, as always, if you have questions or concerns, you can reach us at noah@libertyark.net.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS' CONTACT INFORMATION
Sam Stratton Bone, Jr., Chairman
Rep.stratton.bone@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-7086
Fax (615) 741-2405
Willie Borchert, Vice Chair
Rep.willie.borchert@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-6804
Fax (615) 741-2405
Robert T. Bibb, Secretary
Rep.robert.bibb@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-3979
Fax (615) 741-2405
William A. Baird
Rep.william.baird@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-3335
Fax (615) 253-0230
Eddie Bass
Rep.eddie.bass@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-1864
Fax (615) 253-0228
Mike Bell
Rep.mike.bell@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-1946
Fax (615) 253-0209
Chris Crider
Rep.chris.crider@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-7478
Fax (615) 741-8739
Bill Dunn
Rep.bill.dunn@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-1721
Fax (615) 741-0704
Robert Dale Ford
Rep.Robert.ford@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-1717
Fax (615) 532-8221
Delores Gresham
Rep.delores.gresham@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-6890
Fax (901) 465-6330
John Litz
Rep.john.litz@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-6877
Fax (615) 741-1041
Ron Lollar
Rep.ron.lollar@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-7084
Fax (615) 253-0322
Steve McDaniel
Rep.steve.mcdaniel@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-0750
Fax (615) 253-0214
Johnny Shaw
Rep.johnny.shaw@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-4538
Fax (615) 741-1446
Eric Swafford
Rep.eric.swafford@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-2343
Fax (615) 253-0230
John Mark Windle
Ref.john.windle@legislature.state.tn.us
(615) 741-1260
Fax (615) 253-0328
TALKING POINTS FOR TESTIMONY OR CALLS
NAIS will hurt Tennessee's economy:
- There has been no analysis at federal or state level that establishes the costs or benefits of NAIS.
- 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
Neither the USDA nor the TDA has scientific proof 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 and the technology is flawed:
- 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 TDA and available to USDA, will provide a target for hackers.
NAIS infringes on people's constitutional rights, including due process, privacy, and religious freedom.
NAIS unfairly attacks the rights of pet owners and those who raise animals as food for their family.
USDA states that NAIS is voluntary at the federal level, so there is no "federal mandate" requiring Tennessee to implement this program
Other states are also rejecting or limiting NAIS, so Tennessee will not be disadvantaged by refusing to participate.
Please support HB 976
SAMPLE WRITTEN TESTIMONY OR LETTER
Personalize and put it into your own words for the greatest effect!! The testimony has to come from you!! Testimony to the Tennessee House Committee on Agriculture April 9, 2007
Dear Committee Members:
I am a ____ (small farmer, consumer, taxpayer - tell them a sentence about yourself). I am opposed to all three stages of NAIS - premises registration, animal identification, and tracking - because they impose heavy burdens on our rights and our economy, without providing any real benefits. Neither the USDA nor the Tennessee 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.
I urge you to support HB 976 to stop NAIS from being implemented in Tennessee.
Thank you for your attention to this issue.
Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Email if you have it