Another effort to create a state-specific Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) law died shortly after it was birthed. This time the effort was in Wyoming.
Wyoming state House Bill 0090 called for the creation of a labeling requirement on meat sold in the state. The bill would have required imported meat be labeled as such. Retail outlets additionally would have been required to put up a placard “in the immediate vicinity” of beef indicating if it was imported or “USA beef.” USA beef was defined as coming from cattle born, raised, and slaughtered in the U.S.
The bill was introduced to the Wyoming House at the beginning of February and referred to the Agriculture Committee. On Feb. 22, the committee voted 6 to 3 to go before the full House. This move was celebrated by R-CALF. On the following day, the bill’s status was changed to “Did not consider in CoW,” meaning it was not considered in the “Committee of the Whole.”
WLJ questioned the Wyoming Legislature on the meaning of this status. A spokeswoman described it as meaning the bill was “dropped” from consideration.
The text of the Wyoming bill is very similar to that of Colorado’s House Bill 18-1043, reported on in the Feb. 5 issue of WLJ. That bill failed to make it to the full House with state legislators voting 10 to 3 against passing it out of committee. — WLJ
