last may after months of hard work and the involvement of nearly ten thousand vermonters who support efforts to label g m o foods we were able to pass in the house by a decisive margin h one n one to a bill that would require the labeling of g m o foods it was the first time in the nation that such a bill had passed the legislative body but as significant as this step was it was only a first step this bill now has moved to the vermont senate where it is now being considered  redouble our efforts to ensure that it will pass the senate and then move on to governor showmance desk for his signature and then act meant at this moment january eighth the vermont senate agriculture committee is considering the bill and taking testimony starting now and in the weeks ahead it will be very important for monsters who support this legislation and their right to know to contact their legislators to speak with their senators and also to make their voices heard in the vermont press and media on thursday the sixteenth the coalition will be holding a g m o rally teach in the lobby day at the state house with the monitors who want to become and remain engaged in this effort scores of our monitors have already registered and  have more to say about this in a minute a majority of the processed packaged foods on our market shelves are made with g m o materials thousands of monsters have legitimate concerns about the safety of these materials but without labels it's very difficult for them to know if the food that they buy and feed to their families contain genetically engineered materials in fact the u v and poll found that ninety percent of the monitors more than ninety percent of them monitors want foods labeled for g m those but over the last year many of the largest chemical biotechnology and food manufacturing corporations monsanto dow general foods kraft on down the line have spent tens of millions of dollars in different states to defeat g labeling initiatives in fact they worked hard last year in the vermont state house to kill the bill when it was in the house but the voices of the monsters trumped the power of their money and their lobbyists these corporations already hard at work in the vermont state house and beyond to kill the bill in the senate this year we expect the bill bring the same high price to lobbying and dissing from asian tactics to demand in an effort to kill this bill but as in the house they'll not be successful but they may have a great deal of money and power but they're no match for the voices and and wishes of thousands of our monitors who contact their representatives so let's get going we invite all ver monters to come to the state house between the hours of twelve and five o'clock on january sixteenth thursday for g m o rally teach and lobby day the day will include opportunities to learn more about the issues demonstrate support for the vermont labeling bill and attendees will also have an opportunity to connect with their senators and elected representatives speak with members of the press connect with members of their community and basically become engaged in the campaign to learn more about the g m a lobby day and register just go to the vermont right to know web page v t right to know dot org you'll find information about how to register for the day you'll find information about the agenda for the day and you'll find  lots more information about these issues this will be an important informative and fun day we hope to see you in your neighbors there