With little notice, more than two dozen state legislatures have passed “seed-preemption laws” designed to block counties and cities from adopting their own rules on the use of seeds, including bans on GMOs, according to a list compiled by the American Seed Trade Association.
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Echoing President Trump’s anti-regulatory rhetoric, preemption proponents argue that, fundamentally, seed-preemption laws are about cutting the red tape from around farmers’ throats. Supporters also contend that counties and cities don’t have the expertise or the resources to make sound scientific decisions about the safety or quality of seeds.
“We don’t believe the locals have the science that the state of Texas has,” said Jim Reaves, legislative director of the Texas Farm Bureau. “So we think it’s better held in the state’s hands. It will basically tell cities that if you have a problem with a certain seed, the state can ban it, but you can’t.”
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Other preemption proponents claim that local seed rules would simply get too complicated, forcing growers to navigate conflicting laws in different counties…But critics of preemption laws, including farmers (organic and conventional) and some independent seed companies, are afraid of losing their legislative rights.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Twenty-nine states make it illegal for counties and cities to pass seed laws
