Posted October 8, 2013
During a special session which concluded last week, the Oregon legislature passed a package of bills including SB 863 which prohibits local governments from enacting laws to regulate biotech seeds, according to an article by Northwest Public Radio, available here.
The bill, which prohibits local governments from banning genetically modified (GMO) crops was a response to “anti-GMO” initiatives in four counties in Oregon. The text of the bill is available here.
Supporters of the bill say it “ensures that farmers across the state can operate under one set of state regulations rather than patchwork of local rules.” Oregon Farm Bureau called the passage of the bill “an enormous win for farm and ranch families in Oregon,” in a statement available here.
A group which opposed the bill, Friends of Family Farmers, said “It is incredibly disappointing that the Oregon Legislature has voted today to take away the rights of Oregonians to establish local food and agriculture ordinances intended to protect the viability of local farms, food and agriculture,” according to an article by Take Part, available here.
Opponents say they will work to regulate GMO crops at the state level. Scott Bates of GMO-Free Oregon said, “We’ll definitely be exploring statewide options…it’s a little harder because you have to get the whole state on board as opposed to dealing with matters of county concern, but we’ll be chasing that for sure.”
Governor John Kitzhaber, said that he is assembling a task force to address GMO and non-GMO crops at the state level and plans to introduce a bill in 2015 on these issues.
For more information on biotechnology, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website, here.
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