Oregon Legislature won’t tackle GMO bills

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Local governments in Oregon will continue to be prohibited from regulating genetically engineered crops.

The Statesman Journal and Capital Press newspapers report that bills to ease the ban both failed to make it out of committee at the legislative session.

Those who oppose local government action say rules regarding genetically modified crops should be enacted at the state or federal level, not through a patchwork of county ordinances.

Voters in two southern Oregon counties – Jackson and Josephine – approved anti-GMO ordinances in May 2014. The one in Jackson County was allowed to stand because it had qualified for the ballot before lawmakers approved the ban that stopped communities from taking the regulatory action.

The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee recently heard conflicting testimony about the frequency of cross-pollination among genetically engineered, conventional and organic crops.