Texas Home-Bakers in the Home Stretch

Texas home bakers have officially run the bases, and are heading home after a victory at last weeks Public Health hearing, where food cottage bill 2084 was passed. Food cottage bills allow for the legal sale of potentially non-hazardous foods from a residential kitchen, assuming that kitchen has passed inspection. While 17 states already have food cottage laws,they have become increasingly popular across the nation. Washington and Arizona states passed similar bills in the last month, and four more states are in a pending status. Speculators believe this has a lot to do with the current economy.

The ability to support your family by selling cakes from home, has been Kelly Masters passion. Masters the ring leader, of the Texas Baker's Bill group, has filled her time over the last several years with keeping supporters up-to-date on hearing schedules, State Representative's contact information, as well as educating individuals on how bills are passed. While she worked to get the bill passed in 2009, it died on the floor without ever being read. The Texas Food Bill group worked tirelessly to get a food bill introduced this year, and they were awarded HB 1139. They continued to campaign across the state for the bill, while constantly meeting with negativity from bakery owners, and health departments. Just as things were starting to look like a 2009 repeat, another food bill was introduced, HB 2084. The main difference in these two food cottage bills is that HB 2084, would not allow internet sales, and it places a cap on the yearly earnings at $250,000. Today Masters is being held as a hero, after she led a group of home bakers to Austin on April 20th, to be present and testify at the public hearing.

While HB 1139 has not been voted out of committee as of yet, possibly due to the local raw milk scare, HB 2084 has been passed and is on its way to the Calendar Committee. According to a supporter, the Calendar Committee should see the bills next week, a Bill Analysis and Fiscal Note are still being compiled.