The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) plans to file suit in federal court against the state of Vermont to overturn a GMO labeling law. The organization also has issued the following statement in response to Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin’s signing into law House Bill 112, which would require mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms in […]
Tag: legislation
Posted in, Industry News, Southeast
Red White And Food To Lead Tennessee Wine Referendum Campaign
Red White and Food—a coalition launched by the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association in support of wine sales in retail food stores—will become an independent nonprofit organization that will lead the statewide wine referendum campaign. By becoming a 501(c)(6) organization, Red White and Food will be able to support eligible communities in local petition […]
Posted in, National
Grocers Gather On Capitol Hill To Advocate On Industry Issues
More than 200 grocery retailers, wholesalers and food industry state association executives from across the nation convened in Washington, D.C., this week for the annual “Day in Washington” supermarket industry fly-in. Members of the National Grocers Association (NGA), Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Food Industry Association Executives (FIAE) participated in more than 210 meetings […]
Posted in, National, Northeast
Vermont GMO Labeling Law Heads To Governor’s Desk
The Vermont legislature passed a bill Wednesday that would make it the first state to require food makers to label products made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The Wall Street Journal reports that the Vermont House voted 114-30 to adopt a state Senate labeling bill. Gov. Peter Shumlin has said he plans to sign the […]
Posted in, National
House Passes Bill To Raise ACA’s ‘Full-Time’ Definition
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Save American Workers Act by a bipartisan vote of 248 to 179 on Thursday. House Resolution 2575, introduced by Congressman Todd Young (R-Ind.) and also championed by Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), would change the new definition of a full-time employee under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from 30 […]
Posted in, Beverage News, National
America’s Beer Distributors Recognize National Alcohol Awareness Month
Throughout the month of April, the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) will be recognizing Alcohol Awareness Month, as designated by the U.S. Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to raise awareness about alcohol abuse. “Alcohol is a unique product that is not for everyone,” said NBWA President Craig Purser. “National […]
Posted in, National
Mexico Publishes Final Rule To Allow Cross-Border Potato Trade
The U.S. fresh potato trade with Mexico has been expanded, with shipments expected to begin by June. “The U.S. potato industry and our partners at USDA and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) are pleased to learn the Mexican government has issued its final rule designed to achieve the bilateral goal of expanding […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, National
NGA Expresses Concerns With Chairman Camp’s Tax Reform Proposal
On behalf of the National Grocers Association (NGA), Peter J. Larkin, NGA president and CEO, sent a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) outlining concerns with Camp’s draft proposal to overhaul the nation’s tax code. Specifically, NGA addressed the negative impacts that the exclusion of non-manufacturing S-corporations from a lower […]
Posted in, Southeast, Store News
Governor Signs Bill To Allow Wine Sales In Tenn. Grocery Stores
As expected, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today signed the wine in grocery stores bill. The matter will now go to voters in the state. According to the Memphis Business Journal, municipalities can now begin petitioning for a referendum on allowing the sale of wine in grocery stores, but it will be at least two years […]
Posted in, National
NGA Makes Organizational Changes With Two Promotions
The National Grocers Association (NGA) says that Matthew R. Ott has been named VP of operations and that Greg Ferrara, VP of public affairs, has been appointed as head of government relations. Ott previously was NGA’s VP of membership and information technology. Since January 2011, he has been responsible for membership service offerings, including the […]
Posted in, National
NGA Submits Comments On OSHA Record-Keeping Proposal
The National Grocers Association (NGA) has submitted comments on a rule proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that would amend employer record-keeping regulations to require electronic submission of injury and illness data, and change the frequency of when data is reported. Additionally, OSHA proposes to publicly disclose this data. “Independent retailers and wholesalers continue […]
Posted in, Midwest, National
Minnesota Grocers Recognizes 2014 Legislator Of The Year
The Minnesota Grocers Association (MGA) presented its 2014 MGA Legislator of the Year Award to Sen. Gary Dahms (R-Redwood Falls) at its annual legislative dinner in St. Paul on Jan. 28. Each year, the MGA acknowledges a lawmaker who demonstrates outstanding commitment to the retail food industry. This year’s honor went to Dahms for his work […]
Posted in, National
Congress Reaches Agreement On Farm Bill
The long-awaited Farm Bill has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, with the Senate casting the final approval—in a 68-32 vote on Tuesday—before the nearly $1 trillion bill goes to the president’s desk. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law. The bill has compromises throughout, including changes […]
Posted in, National
Farm Bill Passes In Senate; Off To President
The long-awaited Farm Bill has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, with the Senate casting the final approval—in a 68-32 vote today—before the nearly $1 trillion bill goes to the president’s desk. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law. For more on the deals of the bill, […]
Posted in, Industry News, Southeast
Tennessee Senate Approves Wine-In-Grocery Bill
The Tennessee Senate voted 23-8 Thursday morning to approve a bill that would let grocery stores, big-box retailers and convenience stores sell wine, largely following a plan put forward by the state House of Representatives earlier in the week, the Tennessean reports. After seven years of debate, senators agreed to legislation that would let voters […]
Posted in, National
Congress Finally Reaches Compromise On Farm Bill
The negotiations over the Farm Bill could be at an end, as late yesterday House and Senate committees reached a bipartisan agreement on the Farm Bill that has been delayed for more than a year. The bill, which still needs to be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before going to […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, National
NGA Enhances Advocacy Efforts Through New Online Political Action Center
To strengthen and unify the voice of the independent grocer on Capitol Hill, the National Grocers Association (NGA) has officially launched a new Political Action Center. Heading into the 2014 mid-term elections, the NGA Political Action Center will enable independent grocers to connect directly with their federal legislators on a number of platforms, while also […]
Posted in, National, The Independent Perspective
A Congressional Year In Review And A Look To Future Action
Similar to 2012, this past year’s themes encompassed those of partisan gridlock and legislative uncertainty, making it another challenging year for our industry. While the so-called “fiscal cliff” was averted in the very early hours of 2013, Americans experienced a partial government shutdown for the first time in more than a decade. Many issues, including […]
Posted in, National
NGA Expresses Opposition To Credit Card Swipe Fee Settlement
U.S. District Court Judge John Gleeson on Friday issued a decision granting final approval to the proposed settlement of In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation. This litigation involves complaints filed in 2005 by the National Grocers Association (NGA) and other associations and merchants against Visa, MasterCard and some of the […]
Posted in, National
Report: GMO Confusion And How Food Companies Can Help
Although voters in California and Washington state have rejected ballot measures to label genetically engineered foods, in some ways the topic is just heating up. Labeling supporters say their ultimate aim is nationwide disclosure, and the subject is more on people’s minds because of media coverage and advertising surrounding both measures, plus Whole Foods’ well-publicized […]