HB 1226 – GMO Preemption Bill (2009)

HB 1226 would prohibit state and county government from banning or otherwise regulating activities related to genetically modified plant organisms.

From the text of HB 1226:

“Description: Prohibits state administrative regulatory actions and county regulatory actions from banning or otherwise regulating activities related to genetically modified plant organisms, with certain exceptions (HB1226 HD1)”

HB 1226 revokes the regulatory authority of not only our county councils but also the state. In other words, the regulation, oversight and monitoring of any and all creating, testing, planting, labeling, handling etc. of genetically engineered plant organisms would be entirely up to the Federal Government.

Imagine our local authorities having no say over what GMOs are grown or where… and then imagine the state having no say either! This is a very dangerous precedent to set, regardless of one’s beliefs about GMOs.

Preemption laws have been introduced last minute (often added on to other bills) in some states, in some cases resulting in the states no longer having any control over pesticide use, fertilizer dumping, tobacco/clean-air policies, and more!

For more information on this subject: http://www.environmentalcommons.org

Testimony of Britt Bailey, UH Manoa School of Law against HB 1226.

Maui County council unanimously passed a resolution opposing HB 1226.

Hawai’i County council is currently voting on a similar resolution, which did not pass its first reading – more support and testimony is needed!

Resolution No. 81-09, introduced by Council Member Pete Hoffman, opposes HB 1226 and Supports Local Governance and our right to Home Rule.

Email testimony to the Council at large:

counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us

Call or E-mail Your Council Member directly:

961-8225, then ask for your council member by name. If you do not know who your council member is, the office can tell you. E-mail addresses are:

• Guy Enriques: genriques@co.hawaii.hi.us
• Brenda Ford: bford@co.hawaii.hi.us
• Pete Hoffmann: phoffmann@co.hawaii.hi.us
• Kelly Greenwell: kgreenwell@co.hawaii.hi.us
• Donald: Ikeda: dikeda@co.hawaii.hi.us
• Bob Jacobson: jjaco@co.hawaii.hi.us
• Emily Naeole: enaeole@co.hawaii.hi.us
• Dennis “Fresh” Onishi: donishi@co.hawaii.hi.us
• Dominic Yagong: dyagong@co.hawaii.hi.us
• J. Yoshimoto: jyoshimoto@co.hawaii.hi.us

Talking points:

For the state to strip county authority is unacceptable! It is our right to have input on our food systems and to exercise local, democratic control over our health, safety and well-being.

Taking away local voters’ rights on any issue is a serious threat to democracy! If our County council is stripped of local control, we the people are also!

The federal government has not shown the capability to protect the people! (peanut butter, foods and toys from China, inadequate GMO regulation, etc.)

More and more local authorities (30 states in the past 10 years!) have passed legislation to regulate GMOs; why would Hawai`i move in the opposite direction?

Thank you for taking action today!!