*********** http://cgi.pathfinder.com/netly/opinion/0,1042,1509,00.html The Netly News (http://netlynews.com/) October 20, 1997 A Beehive in Their Bonnet by Declan McCullagh (declan@well.com) John Caldeira's remark in a beekeeper's discussion area on Prodigy seemed innocuous enough: It described how to rid honeybees of parasites. "Two ounces of Mavrik mixed with one gallon of water and sprayed on the bottom boards of one's hives several times a year. It is reportedly very effective," Caldeira wrote. Honey may attract flies, but this discussion about its production drew swarms of bureaucrats. The Texas Department of Agriculture charged Caldeira with violating a state law banning unapproved discussions of bee medicines and fined the 42-year-old hobbyist $600. A draft statement from the department complains that Caldeira was "criticizing regulations" and improbably argues that "the honey market in the U.S. could become depressed because of widespread concerns about its safety and due to Mr. Caldeira's suggestion that commercial beekeepers are using Mavrik in their hives." But the Texas bureaucrats have a problem: The law seems to violate the First Amendment's guarantees of freedom of speech. "There is absolutely no doubt that John Caldeira's speech is -- and should be -- protected speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution," says Mike Godwin, staff counsel to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. [...]