What a big positive step! Kelleym you ROCK! Keep praying and spreading the word everyone! Whoo Hoo!
This is wonderful news! I hope it goes through!
Thanks so much for all of your time and hard work! I saw an episode of Recipe for Success on Food Network, where a woman from PA, made toffee I believe from her home kitchen. Her kids even helped, if you can believe that. Anyhow, from what I can remember, all that was required that she mentioned on the show was hair nets, gloves and one initial inspection for cleanliness. Too bad, it can't be that simple everywhere. Is there a link to view the 2 different drafts? Just curious.
Holy cow! OMG Kelley that is... I'm so excited, I cannot even think of a work right now! 
AWESOMENESS! There's a word!
I don't live in either county, but I will write my rep (again) letting him know about this, and tell him to support it!
edited to fix errors caused by excitement. Crap, I'm still so excited that I cannot type correctly!
Is there a link to view the 2 different drafts? Just curious.
No, they are still in the process of being drafted. Even after that, I don't know that we will be able to see them unless one is actually filed and becomes a bill.
Is there a link to view the 2 different drafts? Just curious.
No, they are still in the process of being drafted. Even after that, I don't know that we will be able to see them unless one is actually filed and becomes a bill.
Ok, thanks! I am sure it will be posted WHEN (here's to keeping it positive) it happens.
thanks to everyone who had anything to do with getting this done! I don't know if this has been suggested yet or not, but what about posting the petition information and writing to your representative portion of this thread to other forums to help get the word out to caterers that may not come to CC. I know one of them is Chef Talk. I didn't want to proceed in case this has already been done.
We need all the support we can get. Post this wherever you think people would be receptive.
A word of caution: Not everyone will be positive or receptive. I got an email yesterday from a person who I fully expected to lend her support to this, but instead she said legal home bakers would drive down prices and quality, and compared us to doctors who operate in their homes. I'm not saying this to rile everybody up, just to make you aware that some business owners will feel threatened, and if this ever makes it to a public hearing, we will probably be hearing from them.
So, back to the task at hand...anybody live or know of anyone who lives in North/West Williamson County or Milam County? 
So, back to the task at hand...anybody live or know of anyone who lives in North/West Williamson County or Milam County?
My husband has a lot of clients in Texas, he is going to check what cities are in those two counties and have a form letter sent to them to sign and snail mail.
We need all the support we can get. Post this wherever you think people would be receptive.
A word of caution: Not everyone will be positive or receptive. I got an email yesterday from a person who I fully expected to lend her support to this, but instead she said legal home bakers would drive down prices and quality, and compared us to doctors who operate in their homes. I'm not saying this to rile everybody up, just to make you aware that some business owners will feel threatened, and if this ever makes it to a public hearing, we will probably be hearing from them.
That was a completely ignorant remark by this non-supporter. I'd call it a case of sour grapes. Do doctors actually operate in their home? What a ridiculous remark. Everyone knows they practice in back alleys...geez. 
So, back to the task at hand...anybody live or know of anyone who lives in North/West Williamson County or Milam County?
I do. I'll ask them to write/call/pester.
I got an email yesterday from a person who I fully expected to lend her support to this, but instead she said legal home bakers would drive down prices and quality, and compared us to doctors who operate in their homes.
Sounds like someone is either afraid of a little competition or isn't very confident in their skills. 
LOL @ amia1024!
That was a completely ignorant remark by this non-supporter. I'd call it a case of sour grapes. Do doctors actually operate in their home? What a ridiculous remark. Everyone knows they practice in back alleys...geez.
Nu-uh! My doctor practices in the back of his van! He and my jeweler share parking space.
Wow, can I get their number! I have to see my doc under the overpass. The kitchen and its location does not have anything to do with quality folks. This irratates me. I have seen and heard of HD regulated kitchens getting shut down for health reasons. I have seen home kitchens where people keep them so clean they must not use them. It does not matter the location it is cleanliness. If a home based place does not have quality, then they won't have business just like a regular store front. Keep posting, this can and will work.
Oh Kelleym those are GREAT NEWS!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for everything you have done so far!!!
Mari
I am just joining the discussion and wondering where the petition is. I want to sign it. It is a real pain in the rear having to haul everything to a state approved kitchen just to make the guv'ment happy.
Is there a way to print the petition?
Our cake club is having a day of sharing in March. Would it be too late to take the petition with me and try and get everyone to sign it?
I can contact my state reps for my area. Is there a number assigned for this thing yet?
I know you probably have gone over this but the thread is too long for me to search through all the pages. 
Disclaimer: I am not a mod or the "owner" of the thread, just a passionately interested party....
BUT
Since we are making great progress and may actually have a chance of changing the law this session, I think it would be great if we could focus on all the positive things that are happening, rather than wondering how other people run their businesses.
http://texascottagefoodlaw.com/
http://www.petitiononline.com/TXCotFd/petition.html
Ladyfish, here is the info. you need.
Just seeing this thread now- don't know how I could have missed it! Anyway, started reading pages 1-10, but then my little ones woke up. I signed the petition and am spreading the word... but is there anything else that I can/should be doing to help out with this cause? I don't have the time right now to go through all those pages! lol
Big thanks to kelleym and everyone else who got the ball rolling on this- looks like we might have a shot!
Go to this web site and click "How To Help" to find out how to help:
http://texascottagefoodlaw.com/
(especially if you live in Rep. Gattis district, )
Here's the petition again:
http://www.petitiononline.com/TXCotFd/petition.html
A reminder: We can NEVER have "enough" signatures, so keep forwarding the petition to your Texan friends and family!
It will not be "TOO LATE" to join in this cause until we have a bill signed into law.
The thread is getting awfully long, spans more than two years, and is hard to find information in. If we get a bill filed, what do you guys think about requesting this one to be locked and starting a new one focusing solely on the bill, since we will have moved into an ENTIRELY new phase of "operations"?
I signed the petition and I will work on a letter!
The thread is getting awfully long, spans more than two years, and is hard to find information in. If we get a bill filed, what do you guys think about requesting this one to be locked and starting a new one focusing solely on the bill, since we will have moved into an ENTIRELY new phase of "operations"?
That sounds like a good idea. Maybe even post it in the General forum. There have been quite a few "I just found this thread" posts recently, and I think that may be because not everyone reads the Business forum. We might be able to reach more Texans that way.
Or ask if the new thread could be a sticky on the home page for a while...
I agree. If that is a possiblity I think we could reach more people that way! I'll also add (hesitantly, but honestly) that there has been some real harsh slamming of people in the business forum and some people might have learned to just stay away. 
Kelley, I talked to my gov't prof today. She's an urban planner for San Antonio. She said if the law is worded correctly, the city and HOA's cannot put deed restrictions on residential kitchens. State law trumps city law. Also, when are they meeting because I would like to go?
Kelley, I talked to my gov't prof today. She's an urban planner for San Antonio. She said if the law is worded correctly, the city and HOA's cannot put deed restrictions on residential kitchens. State law trumps city law. Also, when are they meeting because I would like to go?
That is awesome news, because just recently I looked up an old email from my county's health department rep:
It is illegal, according to state law, the Williamson County Food Order, and all city ordinances in Williamson County to conduct ANY food operation out of your home kitchen. There is no special permit for bakeries, they must qualify under the same rules as a restaurant.
and I was starting to get freaked out that the state law wouldn't do any good if all the counties and cities ban it. I'm so glad to hear that State law trumps city law.
We are waiting for draft legislation and to see if someone will introduce it (this is a big deal! keep hammering away at those legislators!). Once introduced, it will be a bill, and then I assume will have a public hearing. If there is any kind of meeting/public hearing, I will sing it from the hilltops, no worry
Again, March 31 is the bill filing deadline. We must get a legislator to file this bill before then, or we have to wait and try again in 2 years.
It is illegal, according to state law, the Williamson County Food Order, and all city ordinances in Williamson County to conduct ANY food operation out of your home kitchen. There is no special permit for bakeries, they must qualify under the same rules as a restaurant.
That is accurate as the law stands NOW, but once the state (thinking positively) passes the new Cottage Foods law, it won't matter what Williamson county or the city ordinances say. If they aren't in direct support of the state law, then they are in violation of it. Should a lawsuit ever be brought against a residential baker by the city/county/HOA, their law would not be upheld over the state law. Just as a state law is never upheld over a federal law. Without the state, county and city governments would not exist; they derive all their power from the state - that is paraphrased directly from my 2009 government book, so I know that's right! We probably should make sure "residential kitchen" is defined, in the bill, as the kitchen IN one's home and not one attached, just so there won't be any questions/problems later.
Aannndd...the most awesome news ever....I'm getting extra credit for my involvement in this! Woo-hoo! 
Hey everyone, thanks to KelleyM once more! She had a booth at the Austin cake show this weekend for the Texas Cottage Food Law petition.
JILBRY and I sat at that table for about an hour and had 4 pages of signatures during our resting time...LOL! We only had one snooty person come by and act like it wouldn't be a good idea, but everyone else was very excited, at one point we had a line of about 5 or 6 people waiting to sign it! The only reason we left it was because awards had started
Keep slamming your representatives and senators people...WE NEED TO GET THIS TO BILL STAGE THEN BRING IT IN FOR A HOMERUN! WHOO HOO!
Wow, thanks CakesDivine and JILBRY! I had no idea anybody did that after I left! I had the baby with me and wasn't able to stay all day. I was amazed at how many pages of signatures there were when I collected everything last night! We had a total of about 140 signatures.
I am getting ready to fax them over to Ogden and Gattis' office. The table at the cake show was fantastic exposure for us, and I'm hoping we get a lot more "soldiers" for our "army" A HUGE thanks to Jennifer Bartos at All In One Bake Shop (she is the show director and sponsor) for giving us the table. She has been super supportive of our effort, so be sure to thank her if you're in the shop buying supplies.
Like CakesDivine said - keep hammering away at your state Senators and Representatives. The bill filing deadline is March 31, so the clock is ticking down.
www.TexasCottageFoodLaw.com
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