Bill In Texas For Legal Home Bakeries! Calling All Texans!
Decorating By kelleym Updated 7 Feb 2011 , 11:14pm by kelleym
Aug. 8, 2008, I wrote a remake to the song "Deep in the Heart of Texas" for another CC thread. I looked it up because so many Texas cake ladies are singing with joy tonight. I hope y'all don't mind this silliness.
Texas Cake Ladies Deep in the Heart of Texas
The stars at night are big and bright..(clap,clap,clap,clap).. deep in the heart of Texas.
Our cakes are sweet, designs are neat..(clap,clap,clap,clap).. deep in the heart of Texas.
Our fondants smooth, we're in our groove... (clap,clap,clap,clap).. deep in the heart of Texas.
Our butter's creamed, our cakes don't lean.. (clap, clap,clap,clap).. deep in the heart of Texas.
(Same song, second verse)
We've mixed our batter, our flavors matter..(clap,clap,clap,clap).. deep in the heart of Texas.
Our cakes are done, Blue Ribbons won... (clap,clap,clap,clap).. deep in the heart of Texas.
Our whimsicals, tilt fun, not bland... (clap,clap,clap,clap)... deep in the heart of Texas.
Our favorite pan, maps Texas land.. (clap,clap,clap,clap).. deep in the heart of Texas.
-Debbie B. 
I love it Debbie. if we ever do a public demonstration for this bill we'll have to sing that
Just wondering, is it a felony or anything like that to bake and sell from your home? Or do you get fined for it only?
Just wondering, is it a felony or anything like that to bake and sell from your home? Or do you get fined for it only?
you get fined and warned. I don't know what they would do if you didn't follow the warning.
Time to start calling the Calendar Committee members!
Does anyone know why the bill still says it is in Public Health?
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB3282
I'm just wondering if the Calendar committee is aware it is in their court yet.
edited to say: if you didn't see where it passed the committee you can watch it here http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/broadcasts.php?session=81&committeeCode=410
it starts at about 41:14
Oh boy... I went to high school with Brian McCall!! Yea !! Of course he won't remember me because he was a year older and it has been a while... we didn't hang out or anything... but it is a great way to open up discussion about this!!! I am excited.. time to get busy here... pass it on!!
The committee coordinator for PH (Anne-Marie, that sweet darling 
) has to prepare the report and send it over to Calendars. It's not too soon to call, though. We need them ready to pounce on it when it lands on their desk.
AuntEm-
I think it doesn't show as onto the next step because the PH committee has to do a report of recommendation (or something like that) before sending it to the Calendar Committee.
While the Calendar Committee might not have the bill under their wings just yet, it's coming soon. So we need to be calling them and making them aware of what is coming so they can move it out of there as quick as possible.
Aunt Em, thanks for posting that!! I liked getting to watch it. I'm glad they are clarifying that bake sales are now legal to sell home-baked goods. That's a very good thing.
oops, double post! Don't know how that happened!
It is so scary to call these people. I get so nervous when I do. I get all tongue tied. I guess because I don't usually call them. I read about the people who run for different offices, I talk to other people about them, and I vote, but I don't usually call their offices! lol
Ok, just got off the phone with Patrick.
1. The bill needs to have the report created and filed by Anne-Marie, then taken to the "Committee Coordinator", who will take it to Calendars. THIS CAN TAKE UP TO A WEEK. But it must be perfect - if there is so much as a typo, it can be killed on the floor by a Point of Order.
2. The Calendars committee is not yet aware of the bill because it needs to get through step #1 above first, but it is ok to call them and make them aware of it. We are asking for immediate "placement on the calendar".
3. There may be more Joint Authors or Co-Sponsors signing on to the bill (!!!!!), but Gattis's office will take care of that, so there is no need for us to be going out and hunting for them.
I actually got a response from Rep Kolkhorst's office! I am so excited, this is the first response I have gotten from anyone! How cool is that, she is hearing us! I thought maybe they just had aids read and delete emails.
Yay! to the possibility of Joint Authors and Co-Sponsors! 
It is so scary to call these people. I get so nervous when I do. I get all tongue tied. I guess because I don't usually call them. I read about the people who run for different offices, I talk to other people about them, and I vote, but I don't usually call their offices! lol
Those of you who are picking up the phone and calling these people's offices are doing more than 99.999% of the population ever does to get involved. It is ok to be nervous, but PLEASE don't let that stop you! The staff are in general very kind and attentive. (There are a few turkeys out there, but they are the exception, not the rule.)
It is so scary to call these people. I get so nervous when I do. I get all tongue tied. I guess because I don't usually call them. I read about the people who run for different offices, I talk to other people about them, and I vote, but I don't usually call their offices! lol
Those of you who are picking up the phone and calling these people's offices are doing more than 99.999% of the population ever does to get involved. It is ok to be nervous, but PLEASE don't let that stop you! The staff are in general very kind and attentive. (There are a few turkeys out there, but they are the exception, not the rule.)
I think I want to be Kelley when I grow up!
Thanks again for everything!
I thought the same thing, about it being scary and me being nervous.
Then I thought, "what's the very worst thing that could happen if I trip up on the phone?" No one's gonna get hurt, die, and there's really nothing to lose.
Then I had a bigger thought, "I really want this to pass. My family needs this."
I picked up the phone, wrote letters, faxed, and emailed.
I started by emailing. I write well, so I could say what I wanted in the email and that was good. But I also talked to them on the phone eventually and it wasn't too bad. They are all very professional on the phone, some more fun than others, some very laid back (like the lady in Rep Truitt's home office who gave me some great advice), and others are just young. They are very courteous in general. If you get tongue tied just blow a raspberry, chuckle and spit it out. it's not the rep you are talking to, it's just the staff. They get dressed just like you do and even if they don't agree with what you are saying, they aren't going to give their opinion. In Coleman's office, I spoke to his home office and his Austin office - they were very sweet to me and told he loves these kinds of bills!
Don't sweat it. The first time i called lasted about 2 minutes. After i sent a bunch of emails, my calls lasted about 5 minutes or so.. build up confidence, but CONTACT THEM one way or the other!
Oh and PS - don't stress about it - I found out that Patrick in Gattis' office went to school with my youngest son and they were in band together. My son says he put Patrick in a garbage can once! So see- they aren't special people, just general like you and I!
peg
[quote="kelleym"] There may be more Joint Authors or Co-Sponsors signing on to the bill (!!!!!)quote]
How great! Do we have any ideas about who else might support this bill? has Patrick said anything about who else will help? 
okay... stupid question here.... last time I wrote emails to all and kept in kinda generic. This time I want to also call. So do we TELL them we are baking from home?? Or just say that we WANT to bake from home. You know what I mean?? THis might be stupid either way but I just want to ask .. don't want to mess up!!!
That is a personal decision.
Honestly, the staff in these offices are usually shocked to find out it's NOT legal to sell a cake you bake in your kitchen. They're not looking to turn anybody in to the HD.
But I think using the economic angle is still the best - focus on your desire to earn money for your family by having a legal home business; how you could use your talents to help support yourself and your family. Whether or not you tell them what you are currently doing is up to you.
Kelley do we need to can the calendar committee number as well as committee members? my mom called the chair's office and the girl on the phone gave her that number.
(I'm sitting here eating chocolate crunch candies, trying to get up my courage to start my calling spree lol "In a minute.... just one more chocolate" )
Yes, you can call that number also. (512) 463-0758. We found with the Public Health committee that the staff in the "committee" office weren't nearly as friendly as the staff in the individual Rep's offices, but I think our calls did make a difference.
Be sure you tell them in your calls that you are aware they haven't officially received the bill yet, but that it was voted out of the PH committee last night and it is on its way. When it lands on their desk, we want them to be like "ooooohhhh, yeah".
Again - we are asking for immediate placement on the calendar. 
I am a cake newbie, and I'm not sure how TX govt is different from US Govt, but I do traveled to DC to advocate for another completely different cause. The relatively small group I go with did manage to get a bill passed into law last year, which is no small task.
I think one thing everyone should do is contact their rep. and ask them specifically to co-sponsor the bill. You are not asking them to do any extra work when you ask them to do this. You are making them aware of the bill and just asking them to pledge their support.
When you call you can ask to be transfered to the aid that would be over this. At least in DC all the aids have specific jobs/departments that they work in. It would be most effective to speak to the aid that works in this area. They have a lot of influence as to how the rep will vote. Not sure what job title would be over this bill. Maybe health since it came out of health comittee, but that is a total guess. Does anyone else know?
The reason I spend my own money to travel to DC each year is because an in-person visit is worth its weight in gold. Everyone should be writing and calling, but those who want to do even more should make an appointment with their reps office to speak to either the rep, or the aid who is over this area is just as good. When you get there don't expect a long appointment. In DC we usually get about 15 minutes. Be very friendly, not confrontational. Bring something in writing to leave and I would bring a cake. The aide will probably give you their e-mail and phone ext. About a week later call back to thank them for their time and ask if the rep has signed on as a co-sponsor yet.
Again, I really don't know if it is different in TX, but that is how we do it in DC. If anyone has advocated for something on a state level before and knows different, feel free to correct me.
Ok I did it, called everyone on the committee, and also a thank you call to Gattis. It only took about 5 chocolate eggs to get my nerve up too.
When I called Rep. Charlie Geren's office the girl that answered hadn't heard of the bill 
Let's call and Educate her
The Calendar committee's voice mailbox was full, so I couldn't leave a message.
With all the emails I sent out last night, I had 3 that were returned. Not sure why? Lucio, Green, and Keffer. Maybe full mailboxes? I tried to send again and those also got returned. This was the message I got from each one: Remote host said: 550 Rule imposed mailbox access for [email protected] refused
Giving up on 204.65.64.27. Any computer wizzes know what this means?
Anywho, I will be continuing to try to send emails to them as well as continuing to call.
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