BILL NUMBER:  SB 201
  VETOED	DATE: 09/30/2008




To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 201 without my signature.

This bill weakens food safety standards in California, something I
cannot support.

Last year I signed AB 1735, which passed the Legislature unanimously
and put into law food safety standards for raw milk.  Those standards
are now in question by the proponents of this bill.  Looking past
the lobbying techniques, public relations campaign, and legal
maneuvering in the courts, one conclusion is inescapably clear:  the
standard in place has kept harmful products off the shelves and
California's raw milk dairies have been operating successfully under
it for the entirety of 2008.

Based on fears with no basis in fact, the proponents of SB 201 seek
to replace California's unambiguous food safety standards for raw
milk.  Instead they have created a convoluted and undefined
regulatory process with no enforcement authority or clear standards
to protect public health.

For these reasons, I cannot support this measure.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger