H-2426              _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4020

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Inslee, Baugher, Rayburn, Doty, Ballard, Rust, Moyer, Nealey, Smith, Dorn, McLean and Jesernig

Read first time 3/22/89 and referred to Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development.

TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED AND TO THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF EDUCATION:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The apple is one of the Creator's more perfect creations, providing delicious taste, healthy fiber, and virtually no cholesterol to humankind; and

          WHEREAS, The apple is integrally associated with the State of Washington, both because Washington is a large producer of apples and because the apple mirrors the state, being fresh, natural, and beautiful; and

          WHEREAS, A public controversy has arisen regarding the use of Alar, an agent that has been used for decades on five percent of the apples grown nationwide to preserve crispness in the apple on its way to the market; and

          WHEREAS, The most credible evidence presented by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Agriculture concludes that there is no imminent hazard to children who consume apples; and

          WHEREAS, Schools have the obligation to protect and educate their students, including education in the need for developing healthy eating habits, such as eating high fiber and low fat food;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States Secretary of Education encourage public schools that are responsible for a part of children's diets to continue to serve apples and other nutritious fruit to our children.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, the United States Secretary of Education, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.