Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letter to the editor:

House bill would hurt our farmers

Nevadans cherish open space and their freedoms. The latter are being threatened by a backroom bill in Washington, D.C., that would essentially prohibit state and localities from enacting laws to protect us from hazardous agribusiness practices.

HR 3599, introduced by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, seeks to forbid states from regulating the quality and safety of food products imported from other states. It would force us to allow any agricultural product into our state, regardless of how dangerous it might be. This is government overreach at its worst, to the detriment of our health, environment, animal welfare and the interests of local farmers. That’s a threat to our right to govern ourselves.

Under this bill, our state would be forced to sell imported food products in our marketplace, thereby threatening local farmers’ livelihoods. It would abolish state, county and local laws that establish standards concerning food safety and consumer health.

Readers need to call their representatives and urge them to stand up for Nevada’s family farmers and residents by voting no on HR 3599.