After the Senate’s historic action on GMO labeling earlier this week, we are greatly disappointed with the House of Representative’s vote early this morning.  With the opportunity to send to the Governor’s desk a strong GMO labeling bill to protect Connecticut consumers, the House instead complacently accepted an amendment from Governor Malloy and Speaker Brendan Sharkey, despite strong protest from the advocates, that weakened the bill and makes it’s future enactment uncertain.

In the middle of the night, the House passed and sent a bill back to the Senate that would allow Connecticut citizens the right to know what is in their food, only after 25 million other Americans earn that right with the requirement that those 25 million be from five other states with two of those states being either New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, or Rhode Island. If you’re confused by all of this, we understand.  This is not leadership, but an abdication of responsibility.

We thank all of our supporters, both Republican and Democrats, in the House for their support this session.  We understand this is a difficult fight over very powerful interests.  We look forward to continuing to work with you to achieve true protection for Connecticut’s residents.  Our resolve is not weakened.  We ask that you all contact your state representatives to express your disappointment. You can find your legislators here.

We urge the House to reconsider and take action on S.B. 802, the bill passed earlier this week in the Senate.  Please call your Senators and ask them to oppose H.B. 6527 and allow us to pass real GMO labeling laws protecting CT citizens.  Please call Speaker Sharkey at  860-240-8500 or 800-842-1902 and tell him we don’t want his amendments and ask him to pass S.B. 802.

With Resolve,

Tara and The Team at GMO Free CT

We wanted to say thank you for all your feedback today.  We love hearing from you and appreciate being told what your legislators say to you.

After our most recent update, a common emotion today is anger.  You should be angry, we are angry.  Let’s summarize what has happened with our bills. Four committees voted overwhelmingly in favor of GMO labeling.  Yet, despite the strong committee votes, Speaker of the House, Brendan Sharkey, refused to call HB 6519 and HB 6527 for a vote.  In a courageous and unprecedented move, the leadership of the Senate, Senator John McKinney and Senator Don Williams along with their colleagues, amended a bill having to do with eggs, with the GMO labeling language.  Tuesday night we all watched the Senate pass SB 802 with a stunning 35-1 vote.  Being in the gallery watching was inspirational and empowering.  The Senators looked up at us with huge smiles, thumbs up, and waves.  They were proud to represent us and do the right thing.  In addition, after our rally a vote count was taken in the House and we have more than enough votes for the bill to pass.  Everything was looking very hopeful.

Common sense would dictate that after 4 strong committee votes and the almost unanimous Senate vote, Speaker Sharkey would have no choice but to call SB 802 for a vote.  So what is going on?  Sharkey is now trying to insert amendments into the bill that would essentially kill the bill.  One man is preventing us from knowing what is in our food.  This begs the question, do we really live in a democracy?  If the citizens of CT want GMO labeling and the overwhelming majority of legislators want GMO labeling, then we should have GMO labeling!

Our fight for transparency in our food system is not just about our food, it is also about taking back our government so that it truly is a government,  “by the People, for the People.”  So we are all angry today as we should be.  We are asking that you use that anger, harness it and act on it.  Call your legislators and ask them to demand a vote in the house.  Use your voice, be loud and feel your power as an American citizen.  The legislature works for us, we need to make sure they remember that.

Please pick up the phone, call your legislator and then ask all your contacts to do the same.  Please write to us at info@gmofreect.org and let us know what your legislator has to say.   Keep the faith.  This is far from over and there are still a lot of reasons to be hopeful, but we need YOUR help.

Yesterday we celebrated; today we must get back to work.  After the historic vote in the Senate on Tuesday night, many thought that would be enough to convince Speaker Sharkey to call the bill for a vote.  We were even hearing that Sharkey was starting to see the light.  We now know Sharkey is still digging his heels in and is even trying to stick an amendment into the bill that would in effect kill it.

PLEASE call your legislators today and state the following:

(1) I am calling to ask you to speak with Speaker Sharkey and demand that he call SB 802 for a vote in it’s current form, NO amendments!

(2) I applaud the Senate for their historic bi-partisan vote in favor of SB 802, and I am calling to ask that you vote yes on SB 802 and give me the right to know what is in my food so I can make choices for myself and my family.

Right now there is only one man standing between us and our right to know, Brendan Sharkey.  He can not ignore his colleagues in the House forever.  Remember, the Democrats in the House elected him to the position of Speaker.  Our Democratic representatives must remind Sharkey of that fact.  It is essential that the phones in the House ring off the hook all day today.  Please share this with your friends.

We did want to share one very encouraging piece of information with you so we can sign off on a positive note.  Yesterday GMO Free CT received a phone call from Whole Foods corporate offices telling us that they have terminated their membership with the CT Food Association, who is vehemently opposing our right to know.  It’s about time.  Do you now why they terminated their membership?  Because of all of your phone calls, e-mails, tweets and facebook posts.  Please know YOU are making difference.

Keep up the amazing work!  We are in this together.  Stay strong CT! Call your Representatives today!

We want to thank you all for coming out yesterday.  We had an incredibly successful rally. The CT Post reported over 500 people were in attendance.  A tremendous amount of legislators were there supporting us, and delicious GMO free food provided by our generous chefs and businesses.  In case you hadn’t heard, in a move no one saw coming, Senator Don Williams and Senator John McKinney announced at our rally that they would be introducing and voting on SB 802, An Act Concerning the Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food.

After a wonderful day, the theme continued into the night as the Senate debated the GMO Labeling Bill on the floor and then voted to overwhelmingly pass SB 802 with a bi-partisan vote of 35-1.  We are grateful to Senator Williams and Senator McKinney for their leadership and to the entire Senate for supporting our right to know.  We applaud the senate for their proactive and brave step toward giving CT citizens the transparency in our food that we deserve NOW.  Please take a moment to e-mail your Senator today and express our gratitude to them for passing SB 802.  If you do not know who your Senator is, click here  http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/cgafindleg.asp.  The only Senator to vote against the bill was Senator Rob Kane.

While we can pause for a moment to celebrate this historic vote, we still have extremely important work to do.  Speaker of the House, Brendan Sharkey, needs to hear from us.  We MUST call Speaker Sharkey NOW and continue calling Sharkey until he calls SB 802 for a vote in the house.  We are hearing that Speaker Sharkey is beginning to move away from his hard stance against GMO labeling.  Tell Speaker Sharkey that the citizens and legislators of CT want GMO Labeling and he needs to allow democracy to work.  Ask him to please be a leader and call SB 802 for a vote in the house.

Call Speaker Sharkey at 800-842-8267.

Please remain respectful and positive in your message to Sharkey.

Yesterday was truly an incredible day, one that YOU should all be proud of.  We owe our success to all of you for your determination, persistence, and hard work.  Please don’t give up now!  Please call Sharkey today.

Tonight, the CT State Senate passed the GMO Labeling bill with a vote of 35 – 1.  Thank you to Senators Donald Williams and John McKinney for calling the bill in the Senate.  This is not over yet.  There are only TEN days left in the legislative session.  We still need the bill to be called in the House for a vote.

Please call your House Representatives and Speaker Sharkey and ask them to give you your Right to Know by calling the GMO Labeling bill for a vote!

If you do not know who your House Representatives are, follow this link:  http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp

Please call your state representative at these numbers:
House Democrats: 800-842-8267
House Republicans: 800-842-1423

We also need Speaker Sharkey to call the bill – now SB 802 – for a vote.  Please call him at 800-842-8267 and ask him to call the GMO Labeling bill to the House floor for a vote.

We would not be here without all of YOU!  Keep up the great work.  Connecticut is one step closer to GMO labeling tonight thanks to all of you!