W.Va. Governor Signs Raw Milk Bill

After vetoing a similar bill last year, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has signed a proposal letting West Virginians drink raw milk through animal-sharing agreements.

Tomblin signed the bill Thursday after lawmakers passed it.

The bill would let people strike agreements to share milk-producing animals and drink raw milk. It would maintain a ban on selling or distributing raw milk.

People would have to sign a document acknowledging the health risks. Animals would need to have passed health tests within the last year.

In his veto message last year, Tomblin wrote that the bill would pose a serious risk to public health, since raw milk can contain particularly dangerous bacteria for children, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems.

It becomes effective in late May.