By Oregonians for Food and Shelter
Several important bills are up for a hearing Tuesday March 26 at 8:00am at the Capitol
If you grow, or ever plan on growing, genetically engineered (GE) crops, tuesday’s hearing on three anti-biotechnology bills is extremely important.
HB 2319 – Declares that the planting, growing, or harvesting of a GE crop is not considered a “farming practice”, and requires ODA to regulate these crops. HB 2319 would put ODA in charge of “protecting” non-genetically engineered (GE) crop growers from GE material from neighbors. It allows ODA to have GE crops removed if they are perceived as a threat to neighbors, and gives them authority to collect civil penalties up to $10,000. OFS opposes this bill because it puts a new burden on GE growers to prove they are no threat to neighbor’s crops, and suggests that GE crops are something that needs to be avoided.
HB 2715 – Allows counties to establish control areas for crops that contain GE materials. HB 2715 would allow counties to establish control areas for crops that contain genetically engineered (GE) materials. OFS opposes this bill because allowing counties to limit these crops without scientific basis greatly disadvantages Oregon farmers.This bill would allow Oregon’s 36 counties, and over 400 cities, to add regulations on these important crops. This will eliminate the rights of farmers across Oregon to operate their farms without local regulators deciding what crops they can and cannot choose to grow.
HB 2736 – Would require growers of GE crops to register with ODA prior to planting, and require ODA to report that data. Requires ODA to regulate seed contracts.
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