And so comes House Bill 2341, which states that the people`s right to bring and share a pot of tuna or other potluck dishes should not be restricted. Unless someone brings evil eggs. DPH also notes that the most frequently reported food preparation practices that contribute to foodborne illness are incorrect holding temperatures, poor personal hygiene, improper cooking, contaminated equipment, and food from hazardous sources. For more information on food safety, organizations interested in hosting potlucks can consult the USDA publication, Cooking for Groups: A Volunteer`s Guide to Food Safety. As July arrives and you can finally enjoy the delicious taste of freedom on Potluck Freedom Day, remember that Arizona has barely scratched the surface when it comes to breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship. We still have a long way to go before we are truly free, and we have to keep fighting. I hope that this week there will be a vote for common sense and the laws of decency to prevail so that potlucks can flourish here in the land of the free and in the homes of the brave who have enough to eat a spaghetti cake or a greyhound pot. “In the case of a potluck, the word `happiness` says it all,” she says. “So it`s up to the person to try their luck. Governor Ducey and the Legislature not only allowed my community to enjoy one of our most delicious Sunday traditions, but also legalized innovative services like Lyft and Uber, which were previously illegal in Arizona.
As Representative Townsend rightly argued, the right to enjoy a potluck without state intervention is a “fundamental right”. Unfortunately, Arizona`s unintentional criminalization of unregulated church potlucks is symptomatic of a much broader problem of government over-regulation. Much of this over-regulation is aimed at entrepreneurs and professionals: people who are trying to start businesses, create jobs and add value to consumers. But fear not, my friends: Arizona lawmakers are on this. This month, an Arizona House of Representatives panel took the first steps to allow community potlucks outside of work. (Arizona, by the way, still has some of the strictest anti-marijuana laws in the country.) According to Chapter 230 of the Statutes of 2014, all of the following conditions must be met for the event to be considered a “potluck”: The church-potluck you attended? That Super Bowl tailgate where everyone brought something to share? The good news is that Reps. Kelly Townsend and Doug Coleman introduced House Bill 2341, which will make non-commercial potlucks legal outside the workplace. Under Arizona law, potlucks and other “non-commercial social events” are exempt from food safety regulations and Department of Health inspections, but only if they take place “in a workplace.” This exception does not extend to the organization of potlucks in a house or church, which violates the law.
But we are guilty of criminal activity. You see, sometimes we get a little wild and organize potlucks. Know where people get food and share it with others. The problem is that holding a potluck at church is currently an illegal activity under state law and is punishable by fines and jail time. A new bill would completely legalize pot (happiness) in Arizona. It turns out that Arizona, like the other 49 states, regulates many types of situations where food is served. For example, restaurants must meet cleanliness standards, as must other places where food is served, such as school canteens and hospitals. An exception to these regulations is made in Arizona for “non-commercial social events” – such as potlucks. For some reason, no one seems to know why, however, the exception only applies to potlucks held at a workplace. In Arizona, there are currently no exceptions that would allow unfettered potlucks in a private home.
Or the common room of the local caravan park. It is important to note that event attendees must be legally informed that neither the food nor the facilities have been inspected by the state or a local health authority for the event to be considered a “potluck event” and exempt from DPH regulations or LBOH. Participants do not have to be members of the sponsoring organization for the event to be considered a “potluck”. The legislature passed the bill almost unanimously, and Governor Doug Ducey signed it into law in March. Since the legislation was passed without an emergency clause, potlucks will be legal 90 days after the Legislative Assembly rises, so potluck Freedom Day will likely take place in early July. (We should have a potluck to celebrate!) “In our county, we had very serious problems with people closing any type of potluck that wasn`t happening in a workplace … ” Townsend recently told his colleagues on the House Committee on Government and Advanced Education. It sounds funny on the one hand, but on the other hand, people`s rights are being violated. Why a potluck in the workplace would be less dangerous for life and physical integrity than a potluck in a trailer park escapes me. Apparently, it also escapes Townsend because she throws caution to the wind and prepares for us to start living on the edge in Arizona. Unfortunately, Arizona`s potluck ban is far from the only bizarre food regulation on the books. Last month, the Institute for Justice filed a lawsuit against Wisconsin`s ban on selling homemade baked goods.
(You can read more about the case in the video below.) In Badger State, those who sell homemade cakes or cookies face up to six months in prison. In December, a federal appeals court upheld an Indiana law that allowed liquor stores to sell cold beer, but not pharmacies, grocery stores and convenience stores. Thankfully, things seem a little better for potluck lovers — and for aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals in Arizona. Arizona`s anti-potluck law was revealed when someone at Apache Junction Trailer Park got tired of the potlucks that were regularly held there. The nameless potluck hater discovered that in Arizona, technically, you can`t legally host a potluck outside of a workplace. Pinal County officials were taken to the trailer park and began a crackdown. A commercial establishment that sells food is not permitted to sponsor a potluck. In addition, food from a potluck cannot be brought into the kitchen of a company that sells food.
If all of these conditions are met, the event constitutes a “potluck” under Massachusetts law, and food brought to the event for consumption is exempt from regulation by DPH or an LBOH. According to the state of Arizona, the only good potluck is apparently a potluck at work. Of course, regulating group food services has long been a work of state governments – it`s done to protect people`s health and well-being.