Posted September 25, 2013
A controversial bill that would block local governments from regulating agriculture, including banning genetically modified (GM) crops, is included in a legislative package that will be considered in a special session of the Oregon legislature which begins on Sept. 30, according to a Capital Press article, available here.
Senate Bill 633 passed the Oregon senate, but died in committee in the house earlier this year. Governor John Kitzhaber has revived the bill, including it in a broader legislative package and calling a special session for Sept. 30. The text of SB 633 as introduced is available here. Additional information on the bill is available here.
The “framework” for the deal will “reduce the state’s liabilities under its public employee pension system, raising new revenue and allocating money for schools and other programs.”
If passed, the bill would not apply to an initiative to ban GM crops in Jackson County, which has already qualified for the ballot in 2014, according to a KATU article available here.
George Kimbrell, senior attorney for the Center for Food Safety, said that the inclusion of the bill was “outrageous” and said the “group is alerting its members to contact legislators before the Sept. 30 special session.”
Katie Fast of the Oregon Farm Bureau said SB 633 “is important to growers, and she was ‘pleasantly surprised’ to learn it was included in the grand bargain.” Fast said, “Rather than a patchwork of county ordinances, rules regarding genetically modified crops should be enacted at the state or federal level.”
While Gov. Kitzhaber is optimistic about the compromise, “legislative leaders cautioned they must determine whether they will have the votes at the special session.”
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