I will be soon be posting the Senate Agricultural Committee members so that you can respectfully and politely share your concerns about the NAIS scheme.

From the trenches,

Celeste

After receiving two installments of Public Disclosure records it was apparent that not all documents had been provided as requested. There were some slightly different interpretations of what documents should be included and this issue has been resolved.

We have requested notification of when the documents will be ready for inspection and expect the WSDA to expedite the request promptly.

From the trenches,

Celeste

This will aide us greatly in our understanding of NAIS and how we might engage our Legislators to embrace NoNAIS proposed legislation and terminate all plans to proceed with the NAIS scheme. We expect to receive two installments.

From the trenches,

Celeste

We thank the Chairman for scheduling this hearing.

February 21, 2007 is Agricultrual Day.

Celeste

If you are interested please email: nonaiswa(at)gmail.com.

Thanks.

Celeste

Preserve your right to OPPOSE.

Please visit the WSDA Trap Door Spider post for the process.

If you have any questions you can e-mail me at: elisheva@w-link.net. I do have a Spam filter but will get the message if you put something noticible in the subject line.

These proposals include the fines you will pay for breaking many of the WAC’s which WSDA is also currently proposing to change.

When I was young I used to look for trap door spiders. For those unfamiliar with them they are spiders who live underground. The dig a tunnel and coat it with a silky substance and make this unique camouflage trap door by mixing the silk with earth. Finding a trap door spider is a bit of work but with a little determination it can be done. It appears as if Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is imitating the trap door spider.

The Process of Back Door Agency Regulation

There is a whole system of regulation behind the scene where nobody knows except those that the agency wants “in the know”. Here is how it works!

· An agency can change the WAC’s (those are the “how to” regulations) by publishing for 20 days in the State Registry. The State Registry is a place that all proposed regulations are published for public comment. It is kind of like the Legislative newspaper.

· The public has 20 days to comment. You can write, e-mail or fax your comments to the address noted in each proposal.

· You can favor or oppose.

· The agency then has a hearing. Usually the public does not know about the hearing unless you are for the agencies proposal.

· The Agency will respond to comments, especially ones noted For the Record.

· Soon after the hearing the WAC(s) are amended (changed). This can be the day after the hearing.

How can I know what is going on?

• Once a week go to the Washington State Register and see what has been posted. The link is below.

• Go to: http://www1.leg.wa.gov/documents/wsr/2007/07+WSR+Index+A.htm (if it doesn’t work cut and paste)

• Scroll down until you see what agency or topic interests you. For instance:

• Animal Industry:

• disease reporting PROP 07-03-123

• disposal of dead livestock PROP 07-03-172

• importation of animals PROP 07-03-173

• livestock inspection and identification PROP 07-03-124

• Next click on the blue Proposition (PROP) above (it is a sequence of three sets of numbers). Read the Proposition carefully.

Now what?

• · To retain your ‘right to oppose’ create a Memorial of (either Opposition or Favor):

• State your name and contact information

• State: For the Record: A Memorandum of either Opposition or Approval

• State why you are opposed or just that you are studying the matter (because you just discovered it) and will send them
• Your statement of fact(s )on your position.
• Summarize you position
• Thank the committee for listening to your comments.

In Summary:

It is important to understand that in today’s society agencies are actively engaged in the rule-making process creating the standards by which we will live our lives. For instance, in the livestock identification, towards the bottom it has a *new* schedule of fines that you will be required to pay should you violate anyone of the RCW’s stated above the fees. Another interesting note is that for branded livestock the brad must be in Arabic. Isn’t that interesting? I wonder why? The process sounds complicated at first but after the first few times of engaging in the process you will get the process down. Remember if you don’t take a few moments to speak up you lifestyle will soon be altered in a very dramatic way. Lastly, please check the Washington State Register once a week because this is an on going process. New things will continually pop up. With a little time and patience you too can hunt for trap door spiders. Let me know if you find one we haven’t seen before and I will post it. It takes us working as a team to prevail.

On January 11, 2007 HB 1151 was introduced: “Prohibiting a mandatory or voluntary NAIS program in Washington State”. We were promised a viable hearing before February 22, 2007 by the Agriculture Chairman Sullivan, on his word. The hearing has been “tentatively” scheduled a few times and then quickly removed from the calendar of hearings.

What does the Agriculture Committee determine more important than your property rights, privacy, religious freedom, and a life without NAIS?

How about animal massage? Yes, it is true. Animal massage has had its hearing.

What about the *right* to take your dog to a bar? Yes, that also has had its hearing and lots of media coverage too.

Today it is time to call, email, fax Representative Sullivan and politely demand a hearing before February 22, 2007. Ask why animal massage and taking a dog to a bar is more important than a hearing on NAIS.

Representative Brian Sullivan

(360) 786-7972

sullivan.brian@leg.wa.gov

Another No NAIS person and myself were outside an office waiting to talk with someone who was having a discussion about when they were going to get rid of us No NAIS people. They are hoping we will go away. The agri vultures are hard at work and gaining ground. We need a show of force so that they can’t depopulate our farms. Believe me, Dr. Eldridge is firm in his stance and steam rolling ahead with his agenda of bring NAIS to Washington State. In his own words, “All I want to do is bring NAIS to Washington the I will retire and go fishing.” Yeah, while the rest of us are subjugated to regulations found in totalitarian regimes.

It is much easier for us take a few moments each day to demand a hearing for HB 1151 before February 22. That date is critical for a viable bill. We don’t have much time. Flood Chairman Sullivan’s office with calls, emails, or ask for an appointment with him ASAP. We don’t have the money to lobby that the agri-vultures do but we do have our voices to hold the Ag Chair to his word.

You can say he promised a viable hearing and we are holding him to it. Be very careful in your wording. The Legislative Assistant felt ‘threatened’ by the calls yesterday. Be polite and careful. We want to be respectful yet get the point across.

Representative Brian Sullivan

(360) 786-7972

The process of rule maing (regulation) as was expalined to me yesterday by the Public Disclosure employee, Danny McQueen, of the WSDA:

The RCW’s are the laws passed by the legislature.

The WAC’s are the “How to rules”.

We have all been signing up for alerts for the legislature. Unbeknownst to us, if the legislature is not addressing an issue that Governor, WSDA or any other agency wants to have happen they can make a regulation.

The Process

All they have to do is publish it for 20 Days in the Washington State Register. There is a hearing. You can go and testify in person or do a write in testimony. Each issue has a deadline for comments and testimony. The agency can then respond to the comments but not necessarily take anything we say into consideration. At this time WSDA says that they have limited technology so the hearing cannot be heard on TVW site.

I waas told that the Governor has her agenda which she worked on with the agencies during the summer. So all this is pre-planned.

Kick off (WSDA) Ag Watch

What we need now is to kick off the ‘Ag Watch’. Who would be interested in monitoring the State Register once a week for WSDA action and getting word back to me and I can post it? To me it sounded like this is where the bulk of our regulations stem from.

I will be verifying with my legal experts if this is in fact the rule making procedure allowed by law but I thought it important to get y’all looking at the Washington State Register for activity. Dr. Eldridge is moving swift and has the agri-vultures on his side.

I just checked, we have regulation proposals in play…check them out:

http://www.leg.wa.gov/documents/wsr/2007/07+WSR+Index+A.htm