The Hawaii County Council took its first bite out of legislation on genetically altered crops Friday, voting down an overall ban but deferring a more limited bill to another day during a lengthy and at times contentious discussion.
The actions, during a meeting of the Public Safety and Mass Transit Committee, took over four hours to reach, with council members stumbling frequently over matters of procedure and a series of back-and-forth discussions over how to proceed and what crops to restrict.
How to balance the needs of farmers of all types while addressing concerns over biotechnology proved to be a delicate process for council members, who largely appeared ready to take some action yet not entirely sure of where to draw the line.
Read the full, original story here: “Overall GMO ban rejected”