Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) Government Relations Director Kara O’Connor thanked the Wisconsin State Senate for passing SB 330, also known as the “Cookie Bill,” through the Senate this week.
“Wisconsin Farmers Union would also like to thank Sen. Harsdorf, Rep. Rorkaste, and the bill’s long list of cosponsors for supporting this legislation, which will encourage small business innovation and enterprise growth,” O’Connor said.
The Cookie Bill would allow home-based food entrepreneurs to sell their non-hazardous baked goods via face-to-face sales, without needing a commercial license or commercial kitchen. The bill represents an important step forward for aspiring food entrepreneurs and would also help stimulate entrepreneurship in rural economies by enabling farmers to launch complimentary, food-based businesses.
O’Connor noted all other Midwest states, including Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, have successfully enacted versions of the Cookie Bill. “We need to quickly catch up with our Midwestern neighbors who are already championing such cottage food business start-ups, especially as the local food movement and interest in food artisans continues to grow in Wisconsin,” she said. “We applaud the state Senate for passing the Cookie Bill on Tuesday, and we look to the Wisconsin Assembly to do the same.”
The bill was authored by Sen. Harsdorf (R – River Falls) and Rep. Rohrkaste (R – Neenah), and cosponsored by Sens. Ringhand (D – Evansville), Gudex (R – Fond du Lac), Marklein (R – Spring Green), Olsen (R – Ripon), Bewley (D – Ashland), Lassa (D – Stevens Point), Vinehout (D – Alma), and Tiffany (R – Hazelhurst) as well as Reps. J. Ott (R – Mequon), Spreitzer (D – Beloit), Allen (R – Waukesha), Ballweg (R – Markesan), Bernier (R – Chippewa Falls), E. Brooks (R – Reedsburg), R. Brooks (R – Saukville), Craig (R – Big Bend), Edming (R – Glen Flora), Gannon (R – Slinger), Horlacher (R – Mukwonago), Jacque (R – DePere), Kitchens (R – Sturgeon Bay), Kleefisch (R – Oconomowoc), Kooyenga (R – Brookfield), Kremer (R – Kewaskum), Krug (R – Nekoosa), T. Larson (R – Colfax), Murphy (R – Greenville), Mursau (R – Crivitz), A. Ott (R – Forest Junction), Quinn (R – Rice Lake), Thiesfeldt (R – Fond du Lac), Steffen (R – Green Bay), Danou (D – Trempealeau), Genrich (D – Green Bay), Jorgensen (D – Milton), Milroy (D – South Range), Ohnstad (D – Kenosha), C. Taylor (D – Madison) and Sinicki (D – Milwaukee).