Antibiotics Bill Defeated in California
CALIFORNIA, US - Legislation that would have limited the use of antibiotics by licensed veterinarians to prevent and control disease in animal agriculture was defeated by the California Senate Wednesday afternoon with 15 Senators voting in favour of the bill and 20 voting to oppose the measure.The measure was placed on the inactive file. SB 416 by Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) was amended earlier this month by the Senate Education Committee to require school districts to make every effort to purchase poultry and meat products that have not been treated with non-therapeutic antibiotics.
Florez's original bill prohibited schools from serving poultry or meat products from animals that had been treated with antibiotics at any time during the life of the animal.
Western United Dairymen opposed the bill, along with Alliance of Western Milk Producers, California Dairies Inc., California Farm Bureau Federation, California Poultry Federation, California School Nutrition Association and the California Teamsters.
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