Wyoming Gov. Declines
To Sign Meat Label Law

CHEYENNE, Wyo. —(AP)— A bill requiring meat retailers and wholesalers to provide labels indicating foreign country of origin has become law with less than full support by Gov. Jim Geringer.

Geringer allowed House Bill 80 to become law without his signature.

`` A number of retail groups have registered objections to the act as undue restraint on interstate commerce,'' he wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Joe Meyer on Thursday. ``We have reviewed their concerns and disagree with the purported commerce clause violation.''

``I believe the new label requirements will not have a significant enough impact on interstate commerce to warrant constitutional concern under the federal commerce clause,'' he wrote. ``But because of the commerce clause uncertainty, I have chosen not to sign the bill.''

The governor said other than those concerns, he gives his ``unqualified support to the purpose of the act.''

``The clear message in the passage of this bill is our considerable concern for the agricultural community of this state due to the impact that imports are having on the domestic meat market,'' he wrote. ``We do support free trade, but it must also be fair trade. We will not sacrifice our domestic ranchers and farmers to imports.''

Geringer called on Congress to pass legislation which would more adequately address the issue.