Sunshine House

Become The Boss of Your Health and Your Wealth!

OFFICE: 804-739-9400
FAX: 804-739-0675

May 2016

821: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has introduced the “BPA in Food Packaging Right to Know Act”, a bill that would require food companies to label packaging that contains BPA. Email or phone your senators that you have a right to know about BPA in food packaging. Ask them to support S. 821. This important bill would not only make sure consumers know which food packages contain BPA, but also instruct the FDA to investigate the hazards of trace exposures to BPA through food packaging.

The dangers of the toxic chemical bisphenol A are no secret. Even tiny amounts of BPA can disrupt the endocrine system. It has been linked to a wide variety of ills, including infertility, cancer, obesity, diabetes, early puberty, behavioral changes in children and resistance to chemotherapy. In other words, it has no place anywhere in our food or food packaging – yet it continues to be used to coat the insides of most of the 131 billion food and beverage cans made in the U.S. annually.

Last year, EWG scientists scrutinized more than 250 canned food brands and found that more than a third of them were still using BPA-based epoxy can linings for all their products. S. 821, the BPA in Food Packaging Right to Know Act would make sure American consumers know which products contain BPA and would empower the FDA to investigate and regulate it.
 
EWG’s strategic goals are to inspire, empower and unite Americans to live healthier, greener lives while protecting public health and the environment for generations to come. EWG’s groundbreaking research has changed the debate over environmental health. From households to Capitol Hill, their team of scientists, policy experts, lawyers, communication experts and programmers has worked tirelessly to make sure someone is standing up for public health when government and industry won’t.

* The above information obtained from EMG (Environmental Working Group). EWG commits to work on both state & federal issues. They are a good group to support, especially for National/Federal issues, which is an area where Nature’s Sunshine is lacking in support. (We all need to realize that State issues can become National issues and vice versa. Both areas need our constant support and representation).

April 2016

The Monsanto Protection Act has been killed in the Senate (March 16, 2016)On March 16, 2016 the Senate defeated a bill from Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) that can best be described as the Denying Americans the Right to Know (DARK) Act. Passing of the bill would have been a NEGATIVE. It would have allowed companies to Voluntarily label GMO products – the key word here is VOLUNTARILY! No company associated with GMO foods or Monsanto would have ever voluntarily labeled anything. It would have kept consumers in the DARK as to whether or not the food they were buying contained GMO’s.The bill would have prevented individual states from requiring labeling of genetically engineered (GMO) foods. It would have ensured that big food processing companies and the biotechnology industry continue to profit by misleading consumers.

March 2016

These state bills need our support:

Oppose: Indiana SB 162 – Hospital Immunization of Employees

The original bill language protecting choice was deleted in Senate Committee!  The bill is on its way to the House and now threatens employees and infringes on the right of employees to decline high risk vaccines, and it puts the hospital in charge if determining whether an employee can have an exemption and whether the employee is abiding by religious tenants worthy of a vaccine exemption!

Support: Virginia – HB562 – Licensure of Massage Therapists

We have worked with the patron of the bill, Delegate Robinson and the Massage Therapists officers in Virginia and included exemption language provided by Diane Miller that protects natural health folks from the original language of this bill.  The amended bill with our exemption included has passed the House and will crossover to the Senate in a few days.  We support this bill as amended and will work to get it through the Senate and signed by the Governor.

Support: Virginia – HB1342 – a bill to eliminate the religious exemption for vaccines in Virginia.This is a particularly dangerous bill.  We were able in a short time to rally opposition to this bill and it has been stricken for this year.  However, it was agreed to send a request to the Virginia Joint Commission on Healthcare to study ‘vaccines in Virginia’.  We have not seen the letter yet so we do not know the actual request or scope the study will include.  The study will occur sometime this summer and/or fall with a report going back to the General Assembly in 2017.  We need to win this one and have included members of the Home Schoolers Association and the National Vaccine Information Center to support our efforts.