Posted November 7, 2013
The mayor of Kauai, Hawaii, Bernard Carvalho Jr., recently announced his decision to veto Bill 2491, according to an article by The Garden Island available here.
Carvalho expressed his support for the bill to an angry crowd of local residents, but questioned its legality. He said, “I agree with you on disclosure…I agree that we need to know what is being sprayed. I agree we need buffer zones. I agree that we need a study to help all of us. I’m there. The intent of the bill is there.”
Carvalho said he felt a veto was the responsible thing to do and released the county attorney’s legal opinion which concluded that there were “many legal challenges facing” the bill.
“The veto is a clear betrayal of the people of Kauai,” said Lihue resident Andrea Brower, according to an article by Hawaii News Now available here.
The bill was passed by the Kauai County Council with a 6-1 vote after a 19-hour long special meeting. The amended version of Bill 2491 would require farms to disclose pesticide use and the presence of genetically modified crops if they use more than 15 gallons of restricted use pesticides annually. The bill also requires a 500-foot buffer zone near medical facilities, schools and homes. A recent post from this blog on the bill is available here.
For more information on biotechnology and pesticides, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website hereand here.
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