Maine voters approved an amendment to the state’s constitution. Right to Food is a statewide measure that was placed on the ballot by the Maine Legislature and gives Maine residents an unalienable right to grow, raise, produce, and consume food of their choice.
PPH Jul 20, 2021 9:20 PM ET The proposal, which will be on the Nov. 2 ballot, is the result of a nearly decadelong effort that represents an evolution of the movement that produced the Maine Food Sovereignty Act. That landmark law authorized cities and towns to adopt local food ordinances, and more than 90 have done so. “You have to have a right to food because food is life,” said Sen. Craig Hickman, D-Winthrop, an organic farmer who has long championed the cause. “This is a foundation we are putting in the constitution.” But while the idea of guaranteeing a fundamental right to food may seem benign, or even unassailable, the proposal has met resistance. Critics say the amendment, while well-intentioned, could have unintended consequences for food safety, animal welfare or other areas as judges interpret the amendment in future court cases.
From USA TODAY Network and wire reports Alabama Montgomery: Alabama public health officials are warning people to avoid eating any fish from some state waterways because of contamination. The state Department of Public Health issued its latest fish consumption advisories this month. They are based on nearly 500 samples of specific fish species taken during the fall of 2020 from 41 bodies of water, health officials said. Restrictions on consumption are broken down by waterbody and presented as the safe number of meals of a species that can be eaten in a given period of time. In some locations, people are advised to avoid all fish. Mercury is often cited as the fish contaminant of concern.
Maine voters will decide if food is a constitutional right msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The ballot question will ask: “Do you favor amending the Constitution of Maine to declare that all individuals have a natural, inherent and unalienable right to grow, raise, harvest, produce and consume the food of their own choosing for their own nourishment, sustenance, bodily health and well-being?” If passed, Maine would be the first state to adopt a constitutional amendment enshrining a right to food. West Virginia and Washington are also considering right-to-food amendments for their state constitutions. The language to be added to the Maine Constitution would read: “All individuals have a natural, inherent and unalienable right to food, including the right to save and exchange seeds and the right to grow, raise, harvest, produce and consume the food of their own choosing for their own nourishment, sustenance, bodily health and well-being, as long as an individual does not commit trespassing, theft, poaching or other abuses of private property rights, public lands or natural resources in the harvesting, production or acquisition of food.”
PHIL DI VECE News Contributor Wed, 04/21/2021 - 8:45am Farley’s Cannabis Farm on Route 1 in Woolwich. Courtesy photo Farley’s Cannabis Farm can switch from selling medical to recreational marijuana products. The Woolwich select board approved the change following a public hearing Monday evening, April 20. State licensing is conditional on town approval. Residents Fred King and Sayra Small own and run the 127 Main St. business. The town ordinance requires them to pay a one-time $1,000 application fee. The annual renewal fee is $250. The hearing in the town office lasted less than 10 minutes. Resident Greg Doak voiced the only opposition to the application. Doak referred to marijuana as a gateway to other drug use.