I just called the committe number Anne-marie wasn't there the guy I talked to new exactly what I wanted when I said HB 3282 "you want it voted out of committee?" Aha! we are getting them trained My mom is getting ready to call, I dialed the number for her and wrote her a script so she just has to push the call button.

LMAO!!! I LOVE it!!!

Perfect!

Thanks for the update AuntEm!

o.k...i've been gone for several months...busy with schoolwork...and i've just finished reading this post. i can't believe it...a bill could be passed in texas! my husband is a texas resident and we have tons of relatives and friends there! what can i do to help??? we were planning on retiring in texas, but the only reason i didn't was because you couldn't bake out of your home...but this has changed things tremendously!!! is it too late...are they voting now??? if there's anything my dh and i can do...please tell me!!!

Diane, currently the bill is in limbo in the House's Public Health committee. Right now all we can do is call Representative Kolkhorst (the committee chair) and the Public Health committee and voice our support for the bill, and urge them to vote it our of committee. Make sure all your friends and relatives call too.

Chair Kolkhorst's office:
512-463-0600

Public Health Committee office (ask for Anne-Marie)
512-463-0806

Also, have everyone call their representatives to make sure they are aware of the bill.

thanks for the info! do we know when they will be voting??

We have no idea when they will vote. That is what we are trying to get them to do - vote- because without a vote it will die in committee, which would be horrible! Here is the timeline of what has happened so far with the bill. http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Actions.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HB3282

Call and voice your input as well as why it is so important to you for this to pass!

I can't stress enough how important your phone calls to Chair Kolkhorst's offices have been. They are LISTENING.

Make SURE they get your name and phone number.

Anyone who didn't call yet? No time like the present. How about your friends and family?

You can always call back if you called before. "Hi, this is XX and I called the other day about HB 3282 and I was wondering if Rep. Kolkhorst had made any decision about the bill?"

Ok...I did it. I call Rep. Kolkhorst's office just a few minutes ago. The aid took my info and said he would pass on the support to her. It was a very short call and he basically listened to what I said and said thank you. I was soooooo nervous to call....as that is so not my thing.

After the call, I proceeded to call the Public Health committee office and asked for Anne-Marie (as suggested in previous posts). They said she was in a meeting, and asked if I would like to leave a message and when I said no that I would try my call again later...THEY HUNG UP ON ME!!!!! Talk about discouraging???

I wonder if they are getting too many calls and are becoming bothered with it all?

Should I also try calling my personal state rep still? Should we call them and see if they can do anything else to move this bill along??

Kim

I just called again because the first time I didn't leave my name. I got a girl this time, she said that they log all the calls so someone should have asked my name. She took my name and number.
The guy I got before didn't ask me my name number location or anything, all he said was he would pass it on. My mother got the same guy and he didn't ask her either. I hope that guy really IS taking note of all the phone calls he gets, not just saying he is.

colabear- Maybe they didn't mean to be rude they just thought the conversation was over. I duno maybe they were being rude. any way Good Job for calling!
Yes, if you haven't called you rep. you probably should they may not be able to do anything, but you never know they might.

o.k...i called and the lady i talked to took my name and number...so if you call, make sure you leave a name an number. this way they can track the many people who are interested in this bill and getting it passed!

Yes, definitely call your own Rep also and let them know about the bill, how important it is to you, and that it is currently 'Pending' before the Public Health Committee.
www.texascottagefoodlaw.com/calling.htm

Representative Kolkhorst's district is Brenham. Anyone live there or know someone who does? Hearing from her own constituents is also very effective.

I'm in her district. I've spread the word to all my friends. Hopefully a few of them are calling. They said they would, because they all love my cakes and want me to be able to sell legally. They are so supportive!

I just hung up with the Public Health office. They said that it has not been decided if there will be a vote on it. I tried to ask what our deadline for getting it out of committee would be, but I guess I didn't ask it in a way that he understood. Basically, the session ends June 1, but it still has to pass the House and Senate (and the Calendar's committee to be put on the calendar to vote in both the House and Senate... and Rep. Kolkhorst is on that committee too, according to her bio.) The guy I talked to sounded kinda frustrated. I guess we're making a lot of noise! Hopefully this is a case of the squeaky wheel getting the oil!!!

NOT SURE IF THIS WAS ALREADY POSTED BUT THERE IS A PETION ONLINE FOR HB3282
http://www.petitiononline.com/TXCotFd/petition.html UP TO 2107. IF YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED PLEASE SIGN............

WhooHoo! I just got someone else to call. I bribed her with this gumpaste rose. She also said she passed it on to a lady who would get a lot of people to call. Not exactly sure what that means, but if a lot of people call, I'm all for it
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1348357

Just signed it. 2126 Signatures Total

i signed it as well!!!

We are at 2131 now !

They are meeting again tommorrow so we have one more day to call. We don't want to wait another week! It has been in committtee almost exactly one month now. Let's make them vote it out tommorrow!

Thank you for the update! I'm calling now!

Kelley,
Add me to the list of those who called Rep. Kolkhorst's office to support HB3282. The woman that answered the phone was very nice. She asked for my name, phone #, and which county I live in.

-Debbie B.

Please also remember that financial support is needed as much as, if not more than, moral support. Make sure to donate to the cause!
[url] http://www.texascottagefoodlaw.com/donate.htm [/url]

I don't know if I did it right, but you know what site I'm talking about.

Good morning everyone!
Send up a prayer that they vote on HB 3282 today!

Here's the link:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/media/welcome.php

We are live stream 2 today.

I am working today and the live streaming doesn't always work on the computer when I am there. Please update for us today.

Thanks! Prayers said, fingers and toes crossed!

Here we go again - it's not on their agenda, so let's hope they vote on it.

I'm not sure it has to be on the agenda in order for them to vote. I'm hoping the agenda is just the new stuff they're considering. If that's wrong, please somebody correct me.

<----- is this a new emoticon? I also saw a cowboy , cute!

They didn't vote on our bill today.

However, they are voting on more tomorrow and also possibly Thursday.

Here is what Chair Kolkhorst said today (not about our bill, but in general):

I have no choice but to interpret this as us calling in support of the bill. I called Patrick and he has no idea what it means either, but says calling couldn't hurt.

So, time to call again. Not just Chair Kolkhorst, but every member of the committee if you can. http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/list81/410.htm

In addition to leaving your name and number, tell the person on the phone briefly how much it means to you. Drag out your sobbiest of sob stories. Cry if you must.

If you want to call Rep. Gattis's office, I can't stop you.

We're running out of time. The deadline for bills to be out of committee is May 11.

I was just thinking about how far we have come in such a short period of time and we have stuck together through it. What an awesome group of people we are. It is amazing what people can do when they stick together with their feet firmly planted taking a stand on something.

We are making some history here, and I wonder, 50-100 years from now who will be quoting our stories to further along their causes?


Way to go Kelley - you are an inspiring person!

Well here we go again. I will call them all and make a nusiance of my self. Do you think we ought to send emails to them all again as well?
I don't know about you guys but I'm starting to get a sneaky dislike for chair Kolkhorst

Actually, when we saw her at the hearing, she was quite amusing and had a great sense of humor. They all did. I think that there are more important bills up for discussion than ours, and I know that ours is very important to us. But if you look at the content, there were more important things in all honesty. I think our bill is a do the right thing type of bill and not something that really requires a lot of thinking about. It's more for our protection, to ease some financial stress, and allow us to advertise without worry of problems. It's a no brainer, in a sense, but there are some things that needed to be better addressed, and I think that it was a legitimate thing to ask for that. Trust me, I'm just as frustrated as the next person about having to wait, but honestly, we're doing our part to push them to do their part, and they haven't forgotten about us. On the list of priorities though, I believe there were some other things that were more important, and hopefully they got addressed as well. Besides - all good things come to those who wait!

Just had a thought-
What about posting something on craigslist under one of the community or politic headings? (do people read those? ) or possible would it stir up the wrong people, should we take that chance?

K, I just called Chair Kolkhorsts' office as support and they only asked what County I'm from. I asked if he would like to take down my name or number and he said no, but he would pass on the information..........?? Hope that helps even with out a name.