RE: Keep the Government Out of My Breakfast, Oct. 30, 2023

(I unfortunately missed this when it was first published, but after hearing the great testimony from Tosa Compass student journalists today on SB 571, some sharp-eyed staffers brought it to my attention!)

Dear Editor:

While I appreciate the ink allocated to my Truth in Maple Syrup bill (SB 567), I must correct the record. The author of the editorial fundamentally misstated the content and effect of my bill.

Under my proposed legislation, restaurants and patrons may continue to smother their pancakes in any liquid they like. No one must offer, serve, order, or consume maple syrup. The bill only requires that IF a restaurant advertises “maple syrup” on the menu, it must be genuine. Businesses cannot lie to consumers about what is being offered, by claiming that fake or imitation syrup is real maple syrup.

Although this bill is a bipartisan and light-hearted attempt to draw attention to one of Wisconsin’s best agricultural products, it gets at one of the fundamental purposes of government: to protect the public. Consumers have a right to receive the product they order and pay for. People have the right to know what is in the foods they eat. And it’s a core responsibility of government to ensure that those rights are protected, through appropriate regulation.

So, by all means, go on pouring that sad, sticky corn syrup all over your French toast; I agree with the author that government shouldn’t regulate bad taste! But everyone deserves the facts to make an informed choice, and readers of the Tosa Compass deserve the facts about my Truth in Maple Syrup bill.

Yours in brunching,

Sen. Kelda Roys