my my name's dave rogers on the policy advisor with the northeast organic farming association of the mont otherwise known as know for a member of the vermont right to know g m o coalition it's a collaborative project with vermont public interest group in rural vermont it's a coalition that's been joined by dozens of businesses and organizations around the state as well as thousands of or monitors the coalition's been working for quite a long time now in the legislature to pass an an the nation's first law that would require the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods at the moment february twenty fifth this legislation is in the agriculture committee in the vermont house of representatives and they're considering this bill h one n one too would require such labeling we're reaching out to all vermonters with an invitation to become involved in this effort  to ensure that this legislation will succeed this year we've organized a statewide series of grassroots citizen forums that will help for a month or is learn more about the issues and also help them learn how to become involved in this work and i'll say more about that in a minute genetically engineered ingredients are found in approximately seventy five percent of the packaged and processed foods on our supermarket shelves in recent years there's been a growing number of international studies that suggest that there may be health risks to these foods that are poorly understood and under researched because of this scientific uncertainty we feel that it's  that these food should be labeled and that for monitors should know what it is that they're buying and what it is that they're feeding to their families and as it turns out the majority of our monitors agree in two thousand and two university of vermont center for rural studies conducted a poll that found ninety six percent of the monsters wanted genetically engineered foods labeled it's really that simple and fundamental an idea h two h one one two has strong support in the house it has over fifty co sponsors but it's facing a critical legislative deadline in the next couple weeks it's going to have to make it out of a couple  have to make it on to the floor of the house for a vote and then if it passes it will move on to the senate and we can get this done by the end of the legislative session in april or may but it has to make this deadline in the next couple  weeks if it fails to do that the bill will die for this year the time lines very tight recently we've seen a number of lobbyists in the halls of the state house representing various interests who are opposing this bill in recent days these lobbyists some lobbyists from out of state representing some of the world's largest chemical and food manufacturing  corporations come into the building they're all trying to slow down the progress of this bill to make sure that it doesn't meet this deadline and to have this bill killed so it's time for every vermonter really who who cares about this issue to let their voices be heard and their wishes be known to their elected representatives if enough vermonters become involved in this work now this bill will succeed  there's just no doubt about it our legislators are very responsive to what their constituents what their constituents want vermont right to know coalition with the sponsorship of local cooperatives food cooperatives and other organizations is hosting a statewide series of grassroots forums during the week of february twenty fifth these forums will give vermonters again a chance to learn about the issues learn about this legislation but most importantly learn how to become involved with the work to amplify the power of the voices to be able to engage a greater number of their fellow community members in this work these forums will be held starting february twenty fifth each night from six thirty to eight thirty the first forum will be held on february twenty fifth in white river junction at st paul's church the second forum will be held in brattleboro on tuesday february twenty sixth at the moral borough graduate center on wednesday february twenty seventh the citizen forum will be held in pill your at the unitarian church and on thursday february twenty eighth there will be two forums one in burlington allen chapel and another in middlebury at the american legion building but we invite you to come to these forums of course we invite you to visit the vermont right to know g m o as web page for directions and other details about these forums while you're there sign the right to know petition become involved and and make sure you are able to get updates and alerts pertaining to this effort if you have any questions that are not answered on the web page you could call me dave rogers at no five four three four four one two two so together we can get this done and we hope to see you at the forums