Bill In Texas For Legal Home Bakeries! Calling All Texans!
Decorating By kelleym Updated 7 Feb 2011 , 11:14pm by kelleym
John Zerwas disctrict also includes Brookshire, Pattison, Hempstead, Prairie View, all the way to El Campo. It includes parts of Waller, Fort Bend, and Wharton Counties. If you live in those areas, check that he is your rep and if so, please call his office...
None of them are for my district so I emailed all of them. Let's keep the emails a coming!
Patrick emailed me back - he can't find any record of a previous 'Cottage Food' bill or anything similar last session. I had also shared with him Bolton and Harless's positive comments - he says he is glad we are getting good feedback from members.
How weird that Harless remembers one... 
I've sent my emails to all the committee reps. I'll send faxes later today. We're visiting my parents out-of-town, and I don't know how to use this computer/fax set-up my Dad has. 
Just an update on what's happening in my little corner....
I emailed Rep. Brown last night and got an email back this morning saying that it wasn't in committee yet. So I wrote them another email telling them (very nicely) what committee it was in and who was on the committee. I also asked them for personal help in planning the next step. Got 2nd email back stating that I should email all the committee members directly. Here is exactly what the aide said on behalf of Fred Brown.
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You should contact all the members by email. That will be effective and convenient. You may also come and testify for the bill when it is scheduled for public hearing. Be sure and follow on our website at www.capitol.state.tx.us. Under actions it will let you know when that hearing will be held. If you have any questions, please feel free to call my office at 512-463-0698.
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I will be emailing the members and calling Brown's office as soon as I get to a stopping point here at work. Is there anything specific I should say or ask for when calling? Suggestions??
Remember the A-La-Mode!!!
Lisa
Ok so I realized that I'm in the district for the representative on the Public Health committee. Chuck Hopson. I sent them an email so we'll see if I get anything back. 
I'm trying to work up the courage to actually call them. Any advice for what I should do now?
Ok so I realized that I'm in the district for the representative on the Public Health committee. Chuck Hopson. I sent them an email so we'll see if I get anything back.
I'm trying to work up the courage to actually call them. Any advice for what I should do now?
Oh boy, am I glad you're here! You're the first one we have in his district!
If you are nervous about calling, check out this page: www.TexasCottageFoodLaw.com/calling.htm
And also rachelally's post at the top of page 10 of this thread.
Also, email me at [email protected] to receive daily email updates.
PLEASE try to call or meet with his district staff! And bring them a cake! We need every member of the committee on board with us, and they need to hear from their constituents.
I just finished sending off my faxes to all 11 members (Capitol and district offices)....there's smoke coming off the FAX machine. 
I'm glad Rep. Brown's office said to send emails - that was also my gut feeling. Keep up the good work, here's the Committee again just for good measure: http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/list81/410.htm
Ok, so I got a response from the Reps Office...generic I'm sure, but still it's a response, and here's what it said....
Thank you for contacting our office concerning HB 3282, relating to cottage food production operations.
As your duly elected State Representative's office, it is vital that constituents, like yourself, alert us as to the issues of concern to the district so that we may best do the job in representing you in Austin. The Representative will keep your comments in mind as he deals with this or any related issue.
Again, the Representative offers his appreciation for your input. Please do not hesitate to contact us if there is anything we may do for you.
Sincerely,
The Office of Representative Randy Weber
District 29
Will be contacting them again maybe next week or the week after...so hopefully we can get this done. I got my DBA today...so YAY me! (Sorry, just a lil excited that I am on my way to owning a business!)
I just called Rachel, in Rep Laubenburg's office. She was super super nice and listened. And she said she NEEDS to hear from constituents. She would have never heard of the bill if she hadn't received a call. She has received a couple of calls today. She said she would talk to Rep. Laubenburg when she comes into Austin next week and would call me back to let me know if she is in support of it or not, but she said she personally feels like she normally likes to go with things that support small businesses and let people make their own destiny and doesn't like to allow the state to stand in their way!!!
I was scared to death! But I called and it was fine!!! Call!!!
I live in the East Texas area and emailed my representative (Jim McReynolds) last week. Found out hes on the committee list! Fired off another email last night explaining how Im losing $275+ a month due to my hours being cut and raise frozen at my day job. Have not heard anything back but will try again next week.
I live in the East Texas area and emailed my representative (Jim McReynolds) last week. Found out hes on the committee list! Fired off another email last night explaining how Im losing $275+ a month due to my hours being cut and raise frozen at my day job. Have not heard anything back but will try again next week.
cocobaby since you are his constituent, please consider calling his office, or even dropping by the district office with a cake. .
Here is the hearing agenda:
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/schedules/html/C4102009032408006.htm
These bills will be taken in no particular order. The hearing could be very fast, or it could stretch on into the evening. There is no way to know.
We need to be there at 8:00.
I was just making cute t-shirts for us, and now there isn't any time to get them printed and shipped. So please plan to wear PINK or PURPLE.
If you are coming, please PM or email me so I know.
If you are driving from out of town and would be willing to carpool, please let me know.
It is very, very important that a lot of us show up.
We will pick 2 or 3 people to testify. The rest of us will fill out cards that basically say "I agree with what she said." This way we do not take up too much of the committee's time, but we still get our point across (this is on the advice of my lobbyist neighbor).
Still speechless at the speed this happened....
I can't be there but I sure will be praying, I bet that will help.
My lobbyist neighbor says "you're doing pretty good!".
Whether you can or can't attend the public hearing, PLEASE prepare written testimony! This is a letter to the committee telling your story, and why the bill will benefit you. Speak from the heart. Include your full name, phone number and address.
Either bring your testimony with you, or email it to me and I will turn it in for you.
My neighbor the lobbyist tells me that the committee does NOT like to be bombarded with testimony. There are many, many bills on the agenda, it will be a long day. To that end, we have chosen 3 people to give spoken testimony and answer questions from the committee (myself and two others who will represent us very well). If you have a buuuuurning desire to speak before the committee, please email me and we'll talk about it.
This is not an attempt to stifle your right to free speech, we're just trying to maximize our impact on the committee without irritating them. Your very presence will make a huge statement to the committee. They will know how serious we are.
At the hearing you can turn in your letter, or if you don't write a letter, you can fill out a card in support of the bill.
My neighbor the lobbyist tells me that the committee does NOT like to be bombarded with testimony. There are many, many bills on the agenda, it will be a long day.
While I can't be a part of this historical grassroots effort, I will lend support to this statement.
A very close friend of ours (hubby and he have been friends for over 30 years and he was a groomsman in our wedding) has been a state senator for 20+ years. He welcomes phone calls, letters and emails from constituents, but during committee meetings, it's "Make your point and keep it moving". As kelley said, it's not stifling anyone's right to be heard, but there are lots of ways to be heard without dragging out these meetings. It's more important to be effective and 2 or 3 good verbal presentations with LOTS of backup, such as lots of people showing up, the signed cards and written testimony will be very effective.
kelley has shown great leadership in this effort and I want to add my 
to her!
I've sent my emails. I sure hope they help!! Keeping fingers crossed.
Thanks for all your hard work Kellym and thanks for pm updates lanibird.
I'm so disappointed I won't be able to make it to the hearing. After living in Austin for 7 years, I'm relocating to Houston this week. My daughter starts her new school on Monday, and in the wake of major life changes, I can't leave her just yet.
On a positive note, the house I grew up in and that my dad still lives in is in John Zerwas' district. I'll be writing a letter on my dad's behalf, and I'll have him make a phone call.
Give 'em hell, ya'll!!!
Kelleym, I want to give you a deep, heartfelt thank you for all you have done so far and all you are willing to do! You have done what most of us would not do because of fear. I am so impressed by your commitment. I can't believe we've made it this far and I am believing with everything in me, that this WILL come to pass. Thank you!
It doesn't look like I'll be able to make it. I've got a cardiac stress test scheduled for all day Monday and it's about a 7 hour drive from here... What kind of a letter should I do? What kind of format? Anything special and who should I send it to? A rep on the committee, or you, Kelley? Thanks!
If you CAN come - wooohoo! Bring your printed letter of testimony and yourselves to the Capitol Extension Room E2.012 at 8:00 a.m. For the Austin folks on the north side, a group of us are meeting at All In One at 7:00 to go down together . Here is the agenda for the day:
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/schedules/html/C4102009032408006.htm
The chair can take these bills in ANY order, she does not have to go by what is printed. There is no guarantee for when our bill's turn will come. Sometimes these things can stretch until evening (but we're praying that doesn't happen).
If you CAN'T come - type those letters of written testimony and email them to me! [email protected]. Address them to the members of the Public Health committee. Tell your story, and why the bill would help you.
OMG!!! This is SOOOOO exciting!!! I will definitely make the drive down from DFW!
Kelley, thank you so much. I can not wait to meet you!
Kelley, I read on the bottom of that agenda that there will be a four minute limit on testamony. Does that mean if there are three of you testifying you will EACH have four minutes, or does that mean a TOTAL of four minutes for each bill? Also, if we have written e-mails to each committe member do you still want us to e-mail you our stories?
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