Here in Vermont, Senate Bill S. 73 was signed into law on April 29. It
encourages voluntary labeling re rBST and requires that the supplier of rBST
register with the Commissioner of Agriculture, Food & Markets, so that the
Commissioner can determine whether rBST-free labels are valid.
As originally filed, the bill would have required suppliers of rBST [aka BGH]
to be licensed. According to the Associated Press Article published 1/15/98,
suppliers would then have been required to maintain records of purchasers'
names and other information. "The licensing provision establishes a method of
verifying producers' claims they did not use rBST in the making of milk or
dairy products offered for sale in Vermont."
In response, the manufacturer of rBST, a Monsanto subsidiary by the name of
Protiva, announced that if the bill became law they would challenge it in
court and would stop selling rBST in Vermont.
Subsequently Governor Howard Dean said he would veto the bill if the licensing
provision were included. "This [licensing requirement] would make Vermont the
only state out of 50 to have this procedure."
The bill also authorized a voluntary rBST labeling law. A mandatory labeling
law was passed in 1995 but abandoned after a legal challenge.
- - - - -
Just talked to Senator Cheryl Rivers, one of the co-sponsors of the bill. She
said the licensing requirement was replaced with a requirement for
registration, which would give the Commissioner of Agriculture authority to
examine records if necessary (i.e., if there were suspicion of wrongdoing) to
ensure compliance with the voluntary labeling law. With registration instead
of licensing, the bill was passed and signed by Gov. Dean. Senator Rivers
was very pleased with this success. Even though a compromise, it is a start
in the right direction.
Betty Gras
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