The Senate finally voted on its version of the Farm  Bill 

The NAIS provision was amended, but not in a good way.  The big "manager's amendment," which rolled together a lot of unrelated amendments, included a provision that replaced the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemption in Section 10305 with a new provision.  The new version directs the USDA to issue regulations consistent with FOIA for information collected under NAIS.  Like  the earlier version of Section 10305, this provision would be the first direct statutory reference to NAIS, and thus implies Congressional approval of what USDA is doing.  Whether one thinks farmers' information should be open under FOIA or not, the most important point is that no such database should be created in the first place!

In January, the Senate and House will create a conference committee to merge their two versions of the Farm Bill.  As soon as we know all the members of the conference committee, we will update you on who to contact.

The Nation Publishes Anti-NAIS Article! 

A strong anti-NAIS article was published online in The Nation.  If a lot of people go to the site to read the article, the public response will encourage The Nation to publish more articles on NAIS.
 
You can find the article, "USDA Bets the Farm on NAIS," at http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071231/pentland_gumpert  Go to the link and send all your friends this alert so they can read the article online too!  Help us get more press coverage of NAIS!

Email and Contact Issues 

Liberty Ark Supporters:  The Liberty Ark mailing list is still down, which is why you are getting this email through the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance.  You can reach the Liberty Ark steering committee at noah@libertyark.net if you have any questions.
 
FARFA List: As always, you can reach us at info@farmandranchfreedom.org or 866-687-6452 with any questions.
Happy Holidays!

Judith McGeary
Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance
www.farmandranchfreedom.org
866-687-6452