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Factory Farm Bill: Just the Beginning
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We applaud Gov. Rendell for his veto of HB 1222, which had been passed at the 11th hour by the PA General Assembly on the last day before a holiday break. Originally a bill related to penalties for child molesters, HB 1222 was amended late in the process by a Senate committee to include provisions that would punish municipal governments for regulating industrial-scale animal factory farms. Municipal governments have attempted to regulate such farming operations after such farms have polluted drinking water and released asthma-triggering pollutants into the air.
The legislation passed the Senate 46-3, with many senators unaware of the last minute change. Less than a day later, the bill went up for vote in the house. By then, Sierra Club and other environmental and farming groups were hard at work educating representatives about the evils of this legislation. Although moderate Republicans joined with many Democrats to oppose this bill, it still passed the house. Thankfully, Governor Rendell vetoed it, preventing it from becoming law.
The fight is not over. The Governor’s veto contained a series of issues that Rendell said needed to be addressed before he would support such legislation. These issues included the need to tighten the state’s regulatory programs that should be protecting the public health of our local communities, but currently are not. These changes may become public by the end of the month, opening the process for the Factory Farm bill to come up for vote yet again.
Tell your local senators and representatives that you do not support legislation similar to HB 1222. If your representative voted against HB 1222, please thank him or her. If your representative voted for it, please voice your concern. The Lehigh Valley group is especially disappointed with Rep. Jennifer Mann, who voted to support HB 1222, as we have endorsed her candidacy in the past. A list of local representatives and how they voted follows, along with their contact information. Please make your voice heard!
The following representatives voted for HB 1222. Please tell them you are disappointed in their votes!
Pat
Browne, 131st district
610-435-3654;
pbrowne@pahousegop.compbrowne@pahousegop.com
Douglas
Reichley, 134th district
610-965-9933
dreichle@pahousegop.com
Jennifer
Mann, 132nd district
610-821-5577
jlmann@pahouse.net
Craig
Dally, 138th district
610-746-2100
cdally@pahousegop.com
Julie
Harhart, 183rd district
610-821-6924
jharhart@pahousegop.com
Paul
Semmel, 187th district
610-799-0187
psemmel@pahousegop.com
The following representatives voted against HB 1222. Please thank them
for their votes!
T.J.
Rooney, 133rd District
610-882-1510
tjrooney@pahouse.net
Sam
Samuelson, 135th District
610-867-3890
ssamuels@pahouse.net
Robert
Freeman, 136th district
610-253-5543
rfreeman@pahouse.net
Richard
Grucela, 137th district
610-614-1312
rgrucela@pahouse.net
