Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, February 4, 2026

Transcript

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1. 0:15:41

   Carl Gillespie, thank you for being here. Uh, we went to Israel together, and, uh, you're a, uh, a s- state representative in North Carolina. And we also have Mark Pless. Where's Mark at? He was here earlier. Mark is also a state rep. And, and, and, uh, Carl, you serve on the Ag Committee in North Carolina, right? And your chairman is Jimmy Dixon. Isn't that right? He's a ch- uh, a turkey farmer, t- turkey grower. Turkey. Food. Turkey. He grows some turkeys. Well, well, ho- honored to have you here, my friend, and we, we appreciate you.

2. 0:16:14

   Um, we're gonna start this thing off. We need to get somebody to say a prayer, and, uh, I think I'd like to have, uh, uh, Chairman Burns. What, what is your number down there?

3. 0:16:24

   14.

4. 0:16:25

   14. All right.

5. 0:16:26

   Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If you would, join me in prayer. Father God, we're grateful. We're blessed. Uh, we're humbled, uh, to serve and to work hard for, uh, our friends and our neighbors and our communities and our state. Um, ag is the, is the number one industry, and we have to protect it and support it and enhance it. Uh, give us your guidance and your love and your wisdom. In Christ's name I pray. Amen.

6. 0:16:50

   Wow. Thank you. Thank you. All righty. Here, we're gonna, uh, start out here. We've got, um... What have I... There we go.

7. 0:17:05

   All right, guys. Um, this first bill we have is, uh, Senate Bill 435. Uh, this is a bill that I authored. Uh, came at the, uh, uh, request of the Georgia Development Authority. I served on the board of the Georgia Development Authority, uh, before I was in the state Senate. Uh, it, all it does is previously it was called the Georgia Agricultural Development Authority, and at some point in time, it got changed to the Georgia, took the agriculture word out.

8. 0:17:36

   And so we know that that's a state-run, uh, lending institution that our Commissioner of Agriculture, Tyler Harper, uh, serves as chairman of the board. Uh, well, they've been starting getting calls from county commissioners and mayors and, uh, folks like that from, uh, across, uh, the state thinking that they could borrow money through the Georgia Development Authority. And so the Georgia Development Authority obviously is something that's set up for farmers. And so they came to us just to eliminate any confusion to add, uh, agriculture back into it, so it'll be the Georgia Agricultural Development Authority.

9. 0:18:11

   Uh, so I wanted to present that. I hope, uh, everybody'll be okay with that. Uh, does anybody have a motion?

10. 0:18:21

    Make a motion to pass.

11. 0:18:23

    All right. We have a motion to pass. We have a, we have a second. So we have a motion to pass, uh, Chairman Anderson, and we have a, uh, a second from, uh, Senator Kemp. Um, is there any further discussion? All right. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? All right. It passes unanimously. Thank y'all for that. All righty. Um, our second bill is House Bill 163. Uh, I apolog- so, you know, you're b- you know, Jordan, I wanna tell you something.

12. 0:18:56

    You're better looking than that Jason Ridley that's on here, that Jordan, you know. Uh, but, uh, anyway, uh, thank you, uh, for bringing your bill, and, uh, the floor is yours, my friend.

13. 0:19:08

    Thank you, sir.

14. 0:19:11

    There we go.

15. 0:19:13

    So the bill, pretty simple, two pages. All we're doing is making sure cell-cultured meat or lab-grown meat is labeled in restaurants, and plant-based meat is labeled in restaurants. Currently in law, they're labeled in grocery stores. Commissioner Harper had that bill when he was a state senator. We're just taking it one step further, making sure the re- the food service establishment will label it as well.

16. 0:19:33

    All right. Good deal, and I believe, uh, um, you also have a, uh, some language here that is basically just a friendly amendment that, um, basically all it does is it, uh, inc- makes sure that it includes both paper and digital menus, basically.

17. 0:19:49

    Correct. Yes, sir.

18. 0:19:49

    And so I think, uh, members of the committee, you'll find that in your, in your folder. So, um, with that, do we, uh, do we open it up for questions, uh, from Representative Ridley?

19. 0:20:03

    Okay. Uh, Senator Kemp, were you 16? Okay. Go ahead.

20. 0:20:06

    Um, it's not necessarily a question for him, but I see a letter in here from the Restaurant Association. Are, are they n- lined up to speak?

21. 0:20:13

    Yes, sir.

22. 0:20:13

    Okay. Great.

23. 0:20:14

    Yeah. Okay. Uh, Senator Howard.

24. 0:20:21

    Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, q- I appreciate the bill. H- um, how prevalent is lab-grown meat in our, um, food industry now?

25. 0:20:30

    It's a growing industry. Um, currently in the United States it's not too large. Um, you see it in places like DC, California, New York. Georgia doesn't have anyone that we know of yet. But in places like Europe, it's actually extremely popular. Um, they approved it years before the United States did, but you're seeing that growth here in the United States. So we're expecting to see it, you know, in restaurants here soon as well, so we're just trying to get ahead of it.

26. 0:20:51

    Okay. Thank you.

27. 0:20:52

    Yes, sir.

28. 0:20:54

    All righty. Senator, uh, Chairman Anderson.

29. 0:20:57

    Thank you. Thank you for the bill. Um, I know you say in restaurants, but what about, like, convenience stores?

30. 0:21:06

    Um, when it's coming in a package already, Commissioner Harper's bill handled that. This is for food servicing establishments, like when you're in a restaurant or any place, a food truck, where it's coming not in a packaged container, that it's on the menu so you can see it. It's like in a grocery-

31. 0:21:21

    So what I, what I'm getting at at, you know, some convenience stores now have a food that they offer.

32. 0:21:29

    Yes, sir. So they'd have to be labeled as well.

33. 0:21:31

    They'd be labeled.

34. 0:21:32

    Yes, sir. Um, it talks about if it's not on the menu, they have to have, like, say like a buffet or, like, in that situ-

35. 0:21:37

    Yeah

36. 0:21:37

    ... they'd have to have a placard that says it's lab-grown meat.

37. 0:21:40

    Okay.

38. 0:21:43

    All right, Senator Watson, Chairman Watson.

39. 0:21:46

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I don't, you may not be able to help me with this, maybe, uh, the next speaker, but, uh, are, are plant-based, uh, meat alternatives and cult- cell-cultured meat, are they ex- inspected at the production level or at the lab-grown level or wherever they're, whatever happens to make them is made or done, is that inspected by anybody?

40. 0:22:14

    On plant-based meat, I'm not sure. On lab-grown meat, the FDA handles it. They're the ones who approved it to be sold in the United States.

41. 0:22:21

    So but their facilities are on regular schedule-

42. 0:22:25

    Yes, sir

43. 0:22:25

    FDA

44. 0:22:26

    ... FDA-approved-

45. 0:22:27

    Yes, sir

46. 0:22:28

    ... safety, food safety inspections-

47. 0:22:29

    Yes, sir

48. 0:22:29

    ... are done. Okay.

49. 0:22:35

    All righty. Do we have, uh... Yes, sir. Uh, Chairman Burns, number 14.

50. 0:22:40

    Yeah. D- just a, a question. So we've had the, uh, imaginary Whopper, is that right?

51. 0:22:48

    Yes, sir.

52. 0:22:48

    Or what did they call it? The in-

53. 0:22:51

    Impossible

54. 0:22:51

    ... anyway, it's not a, it's, it's not beef, right?

55. 0:22:54

    Right.

56. 0:22:55

    So, so we've, we've had that.

57. 0:22:57

    Mm-hmm.

58. 0:22:58

    And, um, would you suggest that that's, uh, that, that they're currently advertising it appropriately? And-

59. 0:23:07

    So, the, like the Impossible Burger is a plant-

60. 0:23:09

    Is that what it is?

61. 0:23:10

    It's a-

62. 0:23:10

    I thought it was imaginable.

63. 0:23:11

    It's a, that's a plant-based.

64. 0:23:13

    Oh.

65. 0:23:14

    That's plant-based, so that's not cell-cultured. Um, that's a plant-based food, and the bill does talk about making sure it's properly labeled. But when they're saying it's an Impossible Burger, they are already labeling that that is a 100% plant-

66. 0:23:24

    Maybe it's an imaginary burger.

67. 0:23:26

    It could be.

68. 0:23:27

    Could be. Thank you.

69. 0:23:30

    All righty. I don't think we have any, any further questions here. So, uh, I know that the Restaurant Association, uh, wanted to speak, so if you wanna come forward and, uh, give us the good word.

70. 0:23:47

    Excuse me. I don't know how good it'll be, but, but... Uh, thank you m- so much for your time. Uh, Scott Biermann with the Georgia Restaurant Association. I know, uh, Senator Burns mentioned a minute ago that the ag industry's number one, uh, private sector employer. Restaurants are number two, so we guys help each other out. You know, we need y'all, y'all need us to, to sell your stuff, so we're happy to be in this committee and, and find any way we can work together and pr- Um, we do have a, there's a letter in your folder where we kind of outline some of our concerns, not with the overall bill. I think the overall bill, especially when it comes to the, uh, the cell-grown portion of the, uh, of the bill, we wholeheartedly support.

71. 0:24:24

    You know, this is an industry that is growing in some parts of the world. Um, I think there was a question earlier of how prevalent, uh, cell-cultured meat is in the United States. Um, right now, or as of a couple years ago, we knew there were two restaurants, one in San Francisco and one in Washington, D.C., that sold them on occasion, not every day. It would be a special once a month, once every quarter or so. Um, they have both quit, since quit because it is too expensive, um, and too hard to, to get basically to sell.

72. 0:24:54

    It wasn't kind of a return on their, uh, on their time and their money on the restaurant side. Um, there was another restaurant down in Florida that tried it with the cell-cultured salmon, but that didn't last very long either. So right now, again, I can't tell you what's on the menu of every restaurant, uh, across the United States, um, but our best guess, it's between zero and one at this point who are selling cell-cultured meat. Um, and then as, you know, I, I talk to my members about this issue, and we, we, we talk about the cell-cultured side of this. Um, and they all look at me like I have five heads because they wouldn't want to sell cell-cultured meat.

73. 0:25:27

    There's a, there's something about cutting into a proper rib eye and, and having a good steak dinner or having a good burger, um, that they don't wanna, they don't wanna get involved in. And just some of the science behind the cell-cultured stuff, I think to the bill sponsor's point earlier, is a little questionable at this point. So, um, on that side, yeah, if you're gonna sell it, I think it should be well known that you are selling a cell-cultured, uh, burger, so that science is so new. Um, on the plant-based side, I think, um, that's where we do have a little bit of, w- we'd love to see that part pulled out of the bill.

74. 0:25:58

    Um, not because we want to hide what people are eating. We think it's important that people know. But almost to Senator Burns' point a minute ago, um, you go to a Burger King, you can get an Impossible Burger. You can go anywhere else right now. The industry's doing a d- a, a great job of self-policing. We, we don't hear many con- complaints from, uh, consumers coming in thinking they're getting a, a beef burger when they're really getting a plant-based burger. We do a really good job of that. Um, so our ask would be to let the industry continue to police themselves, let us continue to, to use the market as a driver on, on, on this side, um, and just really make sure that, uh, again, if, if there's a problem we know, I think we can address it.

75. 0:26:34

    If we're, if we're finding out that restaurants are tricking people into eating vegetables, I think we can, we can talk about that. Um, a- and we're happy to, to address the bad operators. Um, but I think this is something that we're already doing. We're, we're already kind of addressing it, so we'd like to just leave it, leave it as is. Um, but happy to take, I know there's some questions a minute ago, so I'm happy to take questions, uh, if there are any.

76. 0:26:54

    Yeah. Number 14, uh, Senator Burns.

77. 0:26:56

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Now, thank you for, for bringing the input from the, uh, restaurant associ- And, and, and not to make light of it, I, I appreciate and respect those who choose to eat plant-based products. Uh, and I recognize the potential health benefits of that. Uh, at this point in my life, I choose a steak and a burger, but- ... it's okay. Now, my question is, what percentage of your, of your industry is, is utilizing a plant-based versus a meat-based product as a, as a substitute for a meat-based product?

78. 0:27:28

    Is this-

79. 0:27:29

    Well, I think we're seeing it more and more. I don't have a, a firm percentage for you. I don't, I think we're seeing it more and more as an option. Um, you know, for our industry, our, our profit margin's roughly around 3 to 5%, so any way we can get a new consumer in the door, we're trying to do it. We're trying to find ways to, to get people to come in at any of our restaurants. So when we have the vegan folks who are, are vegetarian, we're trying to find more ways. So, um, on the fast, kind of the fast casual side, the fast food side, you're seeing more like, I know Chipotle I think offers a tofu version. Burger King offers an Impossible, and I might be missing a few. Um, and then some of our sit-down restaurants are offering either the Impossible meat.

80. 0:28:02

    So- I can't give you a firm percentage. I know that's probably not the, the answer you're looking for, but I, it's, it's growing on what, what we're providing. Um, you know, and Impossible Meat was first on the scene in 2016, so 10 years ago. So it's been around a while. Um, I think the consumers know, and again, they, they, they seek that out as an option when they're going ... Especially the, uh, our vegan and vegetarian friends are, are looking for that. Um, a, a very good number are, are, are doing it.

81. 0:28:30

    If, if I could, just one more question, Mr. Chairman.

82. 0:28:31

    Yes.

83. 0:28:31

    How would this legislation negatively impact the restaurant industry? In other words, if it were to include-

84. 0:28:37

    Sure

85. 0:28:37

    ... both plant-based and-

86. 0:28:39

    Sure

87. 0:28:40

    ... lab-based products, how would this legislation negatively impact you? Because back to my friends at Burger King, they told me upfront what this is.

88. 0:28:48

    Sure.

89. 0:28:48

    And they advertised it and they promoted it in order to get maybe, um, the vegetarian folks. So how would this bill negatively impact the restaurant business?

90. 0:28:57

    No, that's a great question. I, from our perspective, when you're adding in an additional government regulation, something else that we're having to make sure we're checking that box on, you know, we have, uh ... The example I used earlier speaking to, to, to the chairman earlier, um, you know, Pinky Cole has a restaurant here in town, and she's very, um, has certain language she uses to describe her menu items. Um, I don't know where, you know, uh, the Representative Ridley and I live very close to each other up in Cherokee County. I don't know that that language would fly up where we live.

91. 0:29:29

    Um, so it allows the market and the, and the con- the restaurants to address to their consumer base how they describe their items, how they label those items. And again, for our operators, the, you know, like a lot of small businesses, a lot of farmers, a lot of folks who are in this sec- sector, um, it's a lot of you wear a lot of hats. You're, you're, you're the owner, you're the operator, you're sometimes you're the busboy, sometimes you're doing dishes, sometimes you're doing everything. It's one less thing to make sure, hey, this is something else I got to check off, as opposed to, you know, something they're already doing of, of making sure they're clearly describing what's on their menus.

92. 0:29:59

    Thank you.

93. 0:30:00

    Okay.

94. 0:30:02

    All right. Uh, thank you, uh, let's see, Chairman, uh, Watson.

95. 0:30:09

    Thank you, sir. Um, back to the plant-based, um, just 'cause I don't really don't know, who inspects that to make sure that that's a safe product when it's manufactured? Is the Department of Agriculture involved in that? Is FDA involved with that? Or-

96. 0:30:24

    I believe it's the FDA on a federal level that, that does, does the inspection process and goes through to our mainline distributors and on down.

97. 0:30:32

    I- is it done in like a lab or is it like-

98. 0:30:35

    I, I, I'm not sure

99. 0:30:37

    ... How do you-

100. 0:30:37

     I don't want to get out of, over my skis here and s- and say too much. I know, I know the FDA does it. Uh, well, I'm not exactly sure how they, they do the inspection.

101. 0:30:45

     You know, I just know on the beef side and on the vegetable side, we have inspections at the farm level, we have inspections at the value-added level. We have inspections all the way through the process-

102. 0:30:55

     Sure

103. 0:30:55

     ... multiple times, multiple different people.

104. 0:30:57

     Yeah.

105. 0:30:58

     And a lot of the stuff, I guess I just don't know what it is, and I don't know how they make it, and I don't know who's looking at it to make sure that it is what it, what people say it is.

106. 0:31:06

     Sure.

107. 0:31:06

     If that makes sense.

108. 0:31:07

     Yeah, absolutely. And I, I'm happy to find more information on the inspection process on the plant-based alternative, the Impossible Meat, and share that with you. Happy to do so.

109. 0:31:16

     All right. Thank you. And w- I had a discussion with the Restaurant Association earlier today, and so, um, I'm one of those folks that, that I believe that if someone is eating plant-grown meat, they have the right to know that that's what they're buying. Um, I know that y'all have a, a little bit of concern, uh, with inspectors as far as menus and all that.

110. 0:31:37

     Yeah.

111. 0:31:37

     And I told them if it gets to be a problem, then I'll draft a bill, and we'll come back. Uh, you know, but I, I'm just kind of like my m- my, uh, my mother used an expression, borrowing trouble. Don't go borrowing trouble, you know? But I, I do think that, that, that, you know, consumers do have the, the, uh, they should know whether or not what they're buying on their menu is, is traditional meat or if it's, uh, meat that's plant-based or, uh, meat that is lab-grown. Um, we're gonna go now to, uh, let's see.

112. 0:32:09

     Sen- let's see, Senator Howard.

113. 0:32:12

     Thank you. Uh, appreciate those comments. Um, as a business owner trying to change, uh, packaging signage, that's a extra thing that can be, you know, just one more thing to a list of headaches that you already have. Is there a, a time, um, I guess, limit on ... I tried to read it through, maybe I missed on the bill. Does it say within 12 months of becoming law, uh, that this needs to be implemented? Being that we don't have a, a, a, what is this?

114. 0:32:43

     Cell-cultured meat phenomenon happening right now, is there a way that we can give plenty of, uh, time, um, for our restaurants to be able to make these changes without having to scramble and do it when a law comes into, um, is enacted?

115. 0:33:03

     I would say, you know, most laws go into effect July 1st. They have several months. Most restaurants, you know, they update their menu on a quarterly process. So we would have it out of here at the governor's desk, and they'd have a whole quarter to update it. So I, you know, again, most restaurants are quarterly. You know, where I went to dinner last night, it was a monthly update on the menu.

116. 0:33:19

     Well-

117. 0:33:20

     So I think-

118. 0:33:20

     And also, um, Representative Ridley, if the restaurant, if all the restaurants are doing like they say they're doing, they're not gonna have to change it because they're already s- telling folks that it's plant-based or cell-based. You know what I mean?

119. 0:33:32

     Yeah.

120. 0:33:32

     Um, all right. I'm sorry, you have another question, Senator? No, I'm all good. Thank you.

121. 0:33:36

     Okay. Um,

122. 0:33:39

     oh, I'm, okay. Senator Kemp, I'm sorry.

123. 0:33:42

     Um, two questions. One, uh, to the Restaurant Association. Like, my understanding is if I go to Burger King, I know I'm getting an Impossible Burger, right?

124. 0:33:52

     Sure.

125. 0:33:54

     Have there been any instances that you're aware of where restaurants are saying you're getting a hamburger, but really it's an Impossible Burger?

126. 0:34:01

     Not that we're aware of. And it's actually, uh, against the, the, the health code to- To say you're selling somebody one thing and give them another. Um, so that's, you know, you can't go and say, "I'm giving you a ribeye," but it's actually a mushroom.

127. 0:34:13

     Yeah.

128. 0:34:13

     You have to say, you have to actually, you know, have truth in menu labeling from that regard, and that's, that would be a health code violation.

129. 0:34:19

     All right. And Representative Ridley, I would like your thoughts on if we were to propose removing plant-based.

130. 0:34:27

     I believe, you know, having it codified in law, like he said, they're already doing it, so I don't see a problem with codifying it to make sure bad actors don't do it, you know? And, like, Burger King's great. It's a great example. They're a national chain. They're probably com- they're complying with other states that already have these laws. So I think Georgia just codifying it, it's more on your smaller l- local businesses or regional compared to the Burger King who may not be doing that already. But as the Restaurant Association said, people are already doing it, so I don't see an objection to codifying something that he said the majority of people are already doing.

131. 0:34:58

     Well, it, from my understanding, it would be beyond them saying it's an Impossible where they would now have to put on there, "This is plant-based," correct? Is that what this-

132. 0:35:06

     Correct

133. 0:35:06

     ... would require them to do?

134. 0:35:07

     But again, with an Impossible Whopper, you know, what is an Impossible Whopper, you know? 'Cause tomorrow it could be something different, you know, 'cause it's impossible. It's not defined what it is. So it's just, again, clarifying for the consumer what they're actually getting.

135. 0:35:25

     All right, Senator, uh, Senator Hatchett.

136. 0:35:29

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, question for the author. What is the punishment for failing to do this? 'Cause I don't see anything in here about what happens if you don't.

137. 0:35:40

     It's in the code section that talks about health inspections. So when the health inspector comes in, they'll be inspecting it just like when you go to a restaurant that says undercooked seafood or things like that can cause, you know, birth defects or p- pregnancy issues, things like that. So it's gonna reflect in their, um, health score.

138. 0:35:56

     So then the enforcement mechanism would be the health inspector?

139. 0:35:59

     Correct.

140. 0:36:00

     Okay. And so if I were a restaurant and I had a bla- a black bean burger-

141. 0:36:06

     Mm

142. 0:36:06

     ... I think that's something that's popular, um, and I put it on the menu, I'd have to say, "Black bean burger made from plants"?

143. 0:36:14

     It would have to be labeled as it says-

144. 0:36:16

     Or plant-

145. 0:36:16

     ... a plant-based meat al-

146. 0:36:16

     ... plant-based meat alternative

147. 0:36:18

     ... alternative.

148. 0:36:18

     Even though it says black bean burger?

149. 0:36:20

     Well, you could put, again, it has to be displayed-

150. 0:36:22

     I'm sorry. That, that's a bad example, but

151. 0:36:24

     ... but it has to be displayed on the menu. So, like, again, you see restaurants all the time put an asterisk beside something, and at the bottom it can say, "All these are plant-based alternatives."

152. 0:36:32

     And that's conspicuous enough for this bill?

153. 0:36:35

     Uh, that's how-

154. 0:36:36

     Like an asterisk?

155. 0:36:37

     Yeah, like, that's how you see with seafood and shellfish. That's how a lot of restaurants do it. They have that statement on the bottom and they're star- you know, they have the asterisk on the menu item.

156. 0:36:46

     Okay. No more questions.

157. 0:36:51

     All right. Do we have any further questions? All right. What's the will of the committee? Move do pass. All right. We have, uh, Chairman Burns ma- makes the motion do pass. Uh, let's, I'm sorry, go ahead, uh, Senator Kemp.

158. 0:37:09

     I would like to offer an amendment.

159. 0:37:11

     Yeah, you can go after- Okay. Yeah.

160. 0:37:12

     Yeah.

161. 0:37:12

     Okay. So we have-

162. 0:37:13

     I was waiting on-

163. 0:37:13

     ... a motion do pass and we have a second-

164. 0:37:15

     He came to it, so

165. 0:37:15

     ... from, uh, Chairman Watson. Okay. Now you can, uh, go ahead and, uh, Senator Kemp, if you'd like to offer your amendment.

166. 0:37:25

     Yeah. I would offer that on line 17 we strike the words "or plant-based meat alternatives," remove lines 18 through 20. On line 25, strike plant-based meat alternatives, and the same for line 26.

167. 0:37:49

     You got all that?

168. 0:37:51

     Just give me a minute to go.

169. 0:37:53

     Hm?

170. 0:37:54

     I'm gonna talk about it. Did you want to get rid of or both is what I found since it says plant-based meat alternatives.

171. 0:38:00

     Repeat what you just said one more time please, Senator.

172. 0:38:02

     All right. Line 17-

173. 0:38:06

     Mm-hmm

174. 0:38:06

     ... strike or plant-based meat alternatives.

175. 0:38:13

     Remove lines 18 through 20.

176. 0:38:19

     On line 25, strike plant-based meat alternatives, and the same for line 26.

177. 0:38:29

     It's a little more on line 26, so on line 26 I'll be more clear. Uh, 25 you also have to strike or both.

178. 0:38:36

     Okay.

179. 0:38:39

     All right. We're both sharpie right away.

180. 0:38:42

     All right. We, we have-

181. 0:38:43

     I think I caught it all.

182. 0:38:45

     I think I'm gonna call it.

183. 0:38:45

     Mm-hmm. Chairman. I'm sorry, go ahead Sen- Senator.

184. 0:38:51

     To help his amendment out a little bit, I think on 21 you'll have to change the four to a three.

185. 0:38:54

     Yeah, you can-

186. 0:38:55

     Yeah, there we go.

187. 0:38:56

     Yeah.

188. 0:38:56

     Yes. You have to clean up, they have to clean up that. That's right.

189. 0:39:02

     You got that?

190. 0:39:04

     Yeah, 20, change the four to a three.

191. 0:39:08

     Okay.

192. 0:39:08

     Okay.

193. 0:39:11

     Does he want it right here? Does it make a difference?

194. 0:39:20

     Yeah. Um, Senator, for the purpose of your amendment here, do you want to get rid of, uh, where it says plant-based meats on line three?

195. 0:39:30

     Uh, yes.

196. 0:39:32

     Okay.

197. 0:39:32

     Thank you.

198. 0:39:43

     All right. Um,

199. 0:39:48

     we have an am- am- amendment's been made on the floor. I'm sorry. Do you not have a second? I know. I'm asking do I have a second? Second. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Senator. All right, I have a second. Um, is there, uh, any discussion on this amendment? Go, uh, all right, we're gonna start off with, uh, Chairman Watson I'm so gonna start off with Chairman Burns then

200. 0:40:13

     I, I thank you. I appreciate senator's amendment, but I think it just basically guts the bill and I'm not convinced that the, uh, that the burden on the Restaurant Association is so great as to s- require that, that we remove plant-based. I believe that people should know what they're eating, whether it's lab-based or plant-based or meat. I think the consumer deserves the opportunity to know exactly what they're eating.

201. 0:40:44

     So I speak against the amendment.

202. 0:40:47

     All right. Uh, Chairman Watson.

203. 0:40:51

     Yeah, I just, I just wanna second that. I mean, we talk about regulations. I mean, I've gotta do a fire drill at my packing shed for a social responsibility audit, and I just want a level playing field one of these days for what we do, and I, I feel like this is just a, not a level playing field.

204. 0:41:08

     Well, I think, not, not trying to gang up, but I, I don't, I don't think it's too much to ask to, for people to know if they're buying plant-based meat. I don't, I don't believe that. But, uh, go ahead Senator Howard.

205. 0:41:22

     Uh, thank you so much. I'm speaking in support of this amendment. I think it's, uh, anytime we have an opportunity to have just less government in our business models as a small business owner, uh, just the death by a thousand paper cuts. And I understand this is not the biggest deal in the world, but y'all see how much paper we have in front of us and how much paper we have, and those volumes and volumes and volumes of laws. Um, sometimes less is more, and I think this bill would be ... It's a good bill and it'd be even better if it was specific to the issue that most people care about, which is the lab-based portion of it.

206. 0:41:56

     Thank you.

207. 0:41:56

     Uh, thank you, Senator. Um, Senator Echols.

208. 0:42:01

     Come on.

209. 0:42:01

     Chairman Echols.

210. 0:42:02

     Echo just a little bit about what I'm hearing. We spent a lot of time in here, uh, on a couple bills last year deregulating, uh, the, uh, food industry, and here we are regulating it. So I g- I think we've gotta decide which direction we're gonna go. Um, uh, what you're telling me is, is basically this is already law and they're self-policing. Is that ...

211. 0:42:26

     Yeah. I would, I would agree. That one.

212. 0:42:27

     Okay.

213. 0:42:27

     For, for the most part we're, we're

214. 0:42:29

     Thank you

215. 0:42:29

     ... already doing it.

216. 0:42:34

     Okay. Um, I have ... Who's number 13? Are you ... Okay. All right. Good deal. Well, we have a amendment that's been made and it's been seconded. Do you want ... Yeah.

217. 0:42:51

     Mr. Chairman

218. 0:42:52

     Go ahead, uh, Chairman.

219. 0:42:54

     We also have a friendly amendment-

220. 0:42:56

     Mm-hmm

221. 0:42:56

     ... that has been presented at, and, and I wanna just clarify the fact that we probably need to put both amendments on the floor before we start.

222. 0:43:03

     Well, can't we vote on the amendments separately?

223. 0:43:05

     I think we can.

224. 0:43:06

     Yes, sir. I-

225. 0:43:07

     And we would.

226. 0:43:07

     Yes, sir.

227. 0:43:08

     Thank you, Chairman.

228. 0:43:09

     I, I believe, I believe we can. I'm not the, I'm not the, uh, I don't have a PhD-

229. 0:43:12

     Yeah, but it does-

230. 0:43:13

     ... in Robert's Rules of Order-

231. 0:43:14

     It does need-

232. 0:43:14

     ... but I believe that's how we'd do it

233. 0:43:15

     ... thank you.

234. 0:43:16

     Um, all right. There's been an, a motion that's been made and we have a second, so is there any further discussion on the amendment that has been, uh, presented by Senator Kemp? All right. All in favor of the amendment, please indicate by raising your hand and saying aye.

235. 0:43:32

     Aye.

236. 0:43:33

     Okay. We have, we have one, two ... We have one, two, three, four, five. We have five ayes. All right, all opposed? All right. There's three opposed, so the amendment passes. Okay. Now we have the friendly amendment. Oh, let's see what we got here.

237. 0:43:57

     Do you wanna speak to the amendment that's in the, uh ... Representative Ridley? I'm sorry.

238. 0:44:04

     Sure. I, I understand the amendment. If I could have your discretion just to make sure we catch all the or both and plant-based in there as I clean it up, if that would be okay with the committee, I just want to make sure.

239. 0:44:15

     Yes. Yes, ma'am. I think everyone will be fine with that.

240. 0:44:17

     Awesome. Thank you.

241. 0:44:18

     Okay. Good deal. Now, Representative Ridley, do you-

242. 0:44:22

     Yes, sir

243. 0:44:22

     ... do you wanna speak to the amendment?

244. 0:44:24

     The amendment that's provided, uh, that was drafted by leg council is just clarifying that a menu is, uh, whether they're printed or electronic. The over- the original version just said on menus. Here we're clarifying that it's digital or printed, 'cause I know you can go into a restaurant. You've all seen it where you scan the QR code and pull up a menu that way. So we're just clarifying that language, that even when they scan the QR code, it's still gotta be labeled there.

245. 0:44:47

     Okay. Anyone have any questions on the amendment? Do we have a m- motion on the amendment?

246. 0:45:00

     Motion to

247. 0:45:00

     Okay. Um, Senator K- Kemp.

248. 0:45:03

     I motion to approve amendment s-

249. 0:45:08

     by inserting lines two through three and line 24. Do I need to read it all? Do I m- need to read it? Menu. Okay.

250. 0:45:18

     Uh, everyone has it in their folder.

251. 0:45:21

     Oh.

252. 0:45:21

     Okay.

253. 0:45:21

     We're good?

254. 0:45:22

     It's the LC menu.

255. 0:45:23

     All right.

256. 0:45:24

     The, uh-

257. 0:45:24

     LC570176.

258. 0:45:27

     Mm-hmm.

259. 0:45:28

     And we'll be replacing line 24 with menus including but not limited to electronic menus, physical menus, and placard displays advertising such product disclosure stating that such food products.

260. 0:45:41

     Okay. So we have a motion on this amendment. Do we have a second?

261. 0:45:49

     Second.

262. 0:45:50

     Okay. We have a second from Chairman Watson. Is there any further discussion on this amendment? All right. All those in favor, please indicate by saying aye.

263. 0:46:02

     Aye.

264. 0:46:02

     All opposed? All right. Passes.

265. 0:46:05

     Thank you, sir.

266. 0:46:05

     So now we have to vote on the bill as amended. So, uh, do we have a motion to, uh, do pass for the bill as amended? All right. Chairman Burns?

267. 0:46:17

     We already have that.

268. 0:46:18

     Okay. Well, all right. Do we have a second?

269. 0:46:20

     Second.

270. 0:46:21

     All right. All in favor of passing the bill as amended, please indicate by saying aye.

271. 0:46:27

     Aye.

272. 0:46:27

     Any opposed?

273. 0:46:28

     No.

274. 0:46:30

     Huh?

275. 0:46:34

     I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Go ahead.

276. 0:46:36

     Okay.

277. 0:46:37

     I'm, I'm-

278. 0:46:37

     So the am- the bill passes as amended unanimously. Right? Okay. All right. On to the rules committee.

279. 0:46:43

     Thank you, sir.

280. 0:46:44

     Uh, Representative Ridley, appreciate y'all.

281. 0:46:47

     No, sir.

282. 0:46:47

     Oh, hold on. Okay. Hold on. We, we're not done yet. Go ahead, uh, Chairman Anderson.

283. 0:46:53

     Um, you know, it is fairly early in the session.

284. 0:46:56

     Yes, sir.

285. 0:46:58

     And you ... This is very rare that we start listening to House bills this early. Is it any possible way you can get your crew in the House to listen to Senate bills-

286. 0:47:13

     Well-

287. 0:47:13

     ... this early?

288. 0:47:14

     I will say we have been listening to Senate bills in the committees I'm on.

289. 0:47:17

     And passing them too.

290. 0:47:18

     We, we passed Rick- Senator Rick Williams' bill last week in public safety. So I'll make sure to tell my other colleagues to keep doing the same thing.

291. 0:47:25

     All right. Thank you, buddy.

292. 0:47:26

     Thank you, sir. Uh, thank y'all. This meeting's adjourned. Appreciate y'all.