Nat'l Conf of State Legislatures

[MDOLAN <mdolan@citizen.org>]

  Last Thursday, at the National Conference of State Legislators annual 
  meeting in Philadelphia, the Committee on Agriculture and International 
  Trade adopted the following language on the MAI and Fast Track:
  
  MAI:
  
  "The NCSL will not support future agreements such as the Multilaterial 
  Agreement on Investment if they do not include federalism protections that 
  are at least as strong or stronger than those in the GATT."
  
  Fast Track:
  
  "The NCSL therefore supports American efforts to negotiate trade agreements
  that secure free and open access to overseas markets for American 
  Agricultural
  products. In this connection, the NCSL is not opposed to proposals to renew
  the President's 'fast track' authority to negotiate trade agreements, 
  provided
  that states receive assurances that federalism protections as strong or 
  stronger than those provided in implementing legislation for the GATT are 
  incorporated into any new trade or investment agreement and its 
  implementing legislation."
  
  FYI