|
|
Majority Report: Do pass as amended
Signed by Representatives
Chandler, Condotta, Conway, Crouse, Green, Moeller, Williams, and Wood.
Yay!
Now it is like a good track workout where you just ran a hard 400 and your coach says, "Good. Now, let's do that again."
The Committee on Health & Human Services Appropriations meets
tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. so there is a sense of urgency. They may not know about this bill, but they will once we speak up and tell them this bill is important to vote out of committee. So, if you wrote or emailed last time, please consider a repeat performance. If you thought about it but didn't, please take the time today! It will be a good workout and you will feel good.
I have no idea where HB 6349 goes next but we will keep you posted on this most exiting political process that YOU are part of and of which YOU are making a difference!
The chart below indicates the average age of the operator. Let's help
pass laws that will reverse this uphill trend. HB 6349 is a way to
ensure, ultimately, the safety of our food.
|
Action Required!
|
|
Because we want our letters to go to the right place so we are most effective with our efforts, we have included a whole new set of committee member who need to hear from you today before they meet tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. P.S. The average age of our San Juan County farmers was actually 61.8 in 2007 so that is even higher than the age shown in this chart, so for the sake of our aging farmers, let's get them some youthful interns who want to learn this most noble of professions.
Contact Information for each committee member. Please write a few short sentences detailing your support for this bill. Following up with a quick phone call to let each person know you have sent an email and that it is important to vote SB 6349 out of committee. Write your words, copy them and paste them into a new email to each man and woman on this committee. Follow up with a call if you have time. They are hearing from us and it is making a difference.
The committee members contact
information and draft text is as follows: Committee Members
| Representative | Room | Phone |
|
Pettigrew,
Eric (D) Chair
| LEG 122H | (360) 786-7838 |
|
Seaquist,
Larry (D) Vice Chair
| JLOB 317 | (360) 786-7802 |
|
Schmick,
Joe (R) *
| JLOB 419 | (360) 786-7844 |
|
Alexander,
Gary (R) **
| JLOB 407 | (360) 786-7990 |
|
Appleton,
Sherry (D)
| JLOB 424 | (360) 786-7934 |
|
Cody,
Eileen (D)
| JLOB 337 | (360) 786-7978 |
|
Dickerson,
Mary Lou (D)
| JLOB 302 | (360) 786-7860 |
|
Fagan,
Susan (R)
| JLOB 439 | (360) 786-7942 |
|
Johnson,
Norm (R)
| JLOB 414 | (360) 786-7810 |
|
Miloscia,
Mark (D)
| LEG 437A | (360) 786-7898 |
|
Morrell,
Dawn (D)
| LEG 434B | (360) 786-7968 |
|
O'Brien,
Al (D)
| JLOB 429 | (360) 786-7928 |
|
Roberts,
Mary Helen (D)
| JLOB 315 | (360) 786-7950 |
|
Walsh,
Maureen (R)
| JLOB 423 | (360) 786-7836 |
|
Wood,
Alex (D)
| LEG 437B | (360) 786-7888 |
*Ranking
Minority Member
**Asst. Ranking Minority Member
|
Chair Pettigrew and members of the
Committee on Health and Human Services Appropriations, Thank you for
the opportunity to offer my full support of SB 6349 to establish a
process for internships on small farms in Washington State. Recent
audits of small farm internship practices by Washington State
Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) have raised a serious issue
for the small farmers in our state. Washington State labor law does
not recognize farm internships as a valid worker category unless the
participants are matriculated at a recognized educational
institution. Because only a small percentage of farm interns are
registered students, the majority of small farms that use interns are
likely not in compliance with L&I's requirements. Statewide,
small farms are becoming increasingly important in maintaining a
diverse and sustainable local economy. This bill allows small farm
s to establish an internship programs for future farmers to pass on
crucial vocation knowledge of farming practices and enterprises. SB
6349 is essential for ensuring continued growth in the agricultural
industry. Please help farm interns and small
family farms in Washington and vote SB 6349 out of committee. Sincerely,
|
|
Once you have become involved in your democracy, you may want to watch what happens to this bill as it makes its journey to become law. Here is a link to the latest information available. Watch how your actions work to wend this bill along.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6349&year=2009. P.S. This is also a great time to share this email with young
people, not only because this is a very real opportunity to watch the
process as it relates to our farmers state-wide, but especially because
it affects our own local food producers. Let's keep hope alive for
enthusiastic young future farmers! Let's also keep our local farmers
afloat by buying the food they work so hard to produce. Have you joined
a CSA for this season? There are more public hours at the food co-op
so take advantage of that, and buy at our local farmers' market or
direct from the farmer. Spread the word!
|
|
|
Linda Degnan Cobos/Maureen Marinkovich
|
|
|
Products for a Healthier Planet
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
