Montana:For third session in a row, Senate kills bill to allow sale of raw milk

The Montana Senate killed a measure to allow the sale of raw milk within the state. After more than two hours of debate Tuesday, senators voted down HB 325 by a 28-22 vote. It had passed the House last month with a 69-30 vote. The bill would have allowed cattle, goat or sheep ranchers to sell raw milk and related products directly to consumers or through agricultural shares where people pay an upfront cost in exchange for regular deliveries of goods. Rep. Nancy Ballance, R-Hamilton, carried the bill this year and in 2015.The debate largely focused on concerns about the safety of drinking unpasteurized milk that state and federal health officials have long said can cause illness or death, particularly among children, pregnant women or the elderly because of weak immune systems. Federal law bans the sale of raw milk across state borders, but a little over a two dozen states have legalized the sale in some form.