Wyoming Bill To Ban Cultivated Meat Wins Introductory Vote In Legislature

A bill that would ban cultivated or cultured meat in Wyoming has passed it's first legislative hurdle, winning introduction by a vote of 49-12 in the Wyoming House on Tuesday.

If it becomes law, the bill would ban the manufacture, sale and distribution of cultivated meat for human consumption. The product is also commonly known as cultured meat, and the two terms refer to the same product.

What Is Cultured Meat?

Cultured meat is essentially meat grown from cells in a lab. While the ability to grow meat from cells in a laboratory has long been the subject of science fiction, the first hamburger patty from cultured meat was not created until 2013.

You can read House Bill 61 here. It's sponsored by Rep. Tomi Strock [R-Converse County].

Arguments For And Against Cultivated Meat

Opponents of cultured meat argue that  there are a lot of unknowns in regard to it's safety simply because it is such a new technology. What impacts microbes in cultured meat products might have on human health and the long-term impacts of cultured meat consumption are issues that have been raised. Many livestock producers dislike the idea of competition from what some consider to be an unnatural product.

Supporters argue that cultured meat products are environmentally friendly and free of antibiotics. They also say safety concerns are largely manufactured by the livestock industry, which fears competition. There are also arguments that cultured meat would free up land that could be used to grow crops.

Some opponents of cultivated meat bans also argue that decisions about using cultured meat should be left up to individuals rather than mandated by law.

According to the National Agricultural Law Center, "Currently, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, and Texas have passed laws banning cell-cultured meat. These bans vary in scope, but primarily, they ban the sale, manufacturing, and distribution of cell-cultured meat."

The introduction of House Bill 61 was approved by a 49-12 margin in the Wyoming House on Tuesday. Here is how they voted on allowing the bill to be introduced:

Ayes: Allemand, Bear, Brady, Brown, G, Byron, Campbell, E, Campbell, K, Connolly, Davis, Clouston, Erickson, Filer, Fornstrom, Guggenmos, Geringer, Haroldson, Harshman, Heiner, Jarvis, Hoeft, Johnson, Knapp, Larson, JT, Lawley, Lien, Locke, Lucas, Nicholas, McCann, Ottman, Posey, Riggins, Schmid, Rodriguez-Williams, Sherwood, Smith, Strock, Styvar, Tarver, Washut, Thayer, Webb, Webber, Wharff, Williams, Winter, Wylie, Yin, Neiman
Nays: Andrew, Angelos, Banks, Bratten, Brown, L, Chestek, Larsen, L, Pendergraft, Provenza, Singh, Storer, Wasserburger

The proposal will now move on to the House Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee.