By Larry Bodine, LD18 Chair
The “tamale bill,” House Bill 2509, was ostensibly to help small families sell homemade food. But it was actually a ploy by the right-wing Americans for Prosperity, the Institute for Justice, and the Libre Initiative, which all oppose any regulation of businesses.
House Bill 2509, sponsored by Republican Rep. Travis Grantham, would have expanded the list of foods that could legally be sold by small cooks and bakers to those that require temperature control. Already, cottage foods that don’t require refrigeration, like bread and certain cookies, are legal in Arizona.
The Arizona Department of Health Services opposed the bill, as did the Arizona Restaurant Association.
It was vetoed by Governor Hobbs, who said the bill would “significantly increase the risk of foodborne illness” because it didn’t include ways to oversee and inspect these home chefs.
A subsequent override effort in the state House failed. Democrats didn’t want to align with anti-regulation groups that opposed regulation beyond the Tamale Bill.
Hidden right-wing fronts.
- The Institute for Justice‘s website says the “National Food Freedom Initiative is a nationwide campaign that brings a variety of legal challenges and legislative efforts to laws that interfere with the ability of people to buy, sell, grow, or advertise different foods. …IJ has helped change the law in more than 20 states.”
- Americans for Prosperity is a political front organization financed by powerful conservative billionaire Charles Koch. It is active in right-wing politics and actively lobbies for Republican candidates. It held a “free the tamale” rally on the capitol lawn.
- The Libre Initiative appears to be a pro-Latino site, but it promotes anti-regulation agendas like “limited government – unlimited opportunities.”
Truth be told.
Rep. Nancy Gutierrez, speaking at the April 25 meeting of the LD18 Democrats, said, “The bill that they called the Tamale bill actually has a lot of holes in it, and its focus is to deregulate the food industry, she said. “This is a Koch Brothers bill, so as much as they say it was for the Tamale ladies, it was not. It was for deregulation. So that’s the truth of that.”
LD18 Rep. Chris Mathis added, “There’s an entity called the Institute for Justice. That, which is something that Clint Bolick, (who is now on the Arizona Supreme Court) helped found, is a dark money Koch Brothers organization. And then there was a group of folks who came to the Capitol today who were part of a coordinated effort by Americans for Prosperity.”
“People brought tamales and salsa and stuff like that. It’s not to say there isn’t a legitimate bill somewhere. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a way to pass a bill that would make it easier for those folks to sell those items and make a living but also protect public safety, which is ultimately why the governor vetoed it.”
“The public’s misconception is that the legislature is hurting the Tamale ladies. We must do a better job of letting voters know not only about the Koch brothers’ connections, and other things that we should be aware of.