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From Claire
O'Leary
To All
Concerned about Michigan Farming, Food security and safety, Environmentalists,
Native plant preservationists including forests, and those dedicated to the
Preservation of Local Control:
A new bill, SB 777, has been introduced to the Michigan
Senate and is being discussed by the Senate Agricultural, Forestry, and Tourism
Committee (see attached)
This bill is an attempt to change the Michigan seed law
of 1965 and 1988 "to preempt ordinances prohibiting or regulating certain
activities with respect to seeds" and to add a new section that will prevent
local units of government (cities, townships, municipalities, counties, etc.)
from adopting, maintaining, or enforcing "an ordinance that prohibits or
regulates the labeling, sale, storage, transportation, distribution, use, or
planting of agricultural, vegetable, flower, or forest tree seeds."
What this means if passed: Citizens
and local governments in Michigan will no longer be able to ban the use of, sale
of, transportation of, etc. seeds that have the potential to expose people,
farmers, and the environment to unreasonable risks.
This is just one of
several State level bills that have been introduced across the country to
counteract the success of some counties and municipalities in other states that
have passed local ordinances banning the use, sale, etc. of genetically
engineered seeds. The only thing that
stops these bills is a large public outcry.
Potential Unintended Effects:
Unique local concerns might include
--Public health: the allergenicity and toxicity effects
of certain GE crop pollen is already suspected of causing illness
--Organic farming: seed drift and pollen drift can
directly contaminate organic farms with the subsequent loss of certification as
well as organic markets
--Conventional farming: Many farmers have already been
sued or threatened into silence by the Agri-Biotech firms like Monsanto due to
suspected crop contamination.? Given the way federal laws are being interpreted
in the courts, there is no protection for farmers against these lawsuits.
--Unique natural or cultural resources may be
compromised through the weediness of some invasive organisms
--potential weediness of GE grasses and certain crops
could prove to become a widespread?nuisance since they are engineered to
overcome natural obstacles and are creating pest and chemical resistances
--GE Trees are being introduced and have the potential
for silencing forests and creating?anomalies that harm other creatures and other
trees
The bill offers no protection to preserve local zoning
ordinances and leaves many at risk including:
--Schools
--Hospitals and Convalescent Centers
--Organic and Conventional Farms
Additionally, there is no protection from potential law
suits for the property owned or controlled by local governments (parks, play
fields, roadsides, county-controlled agricultural lands, etc.) should GE crops
become uncontrollable weeds.
When the Federal government attempts to impose
uniformity on individual State laws, especially in the area of food regulation,
States have a right and a duty to object. We need the same degree of respect for
local control from our State legislature.
Please Call or Write to your State senator.
Mention the bill by its designation: SB 777 The bill
is sponsored by the Committee Chair, Sen. Van Woerkom
If you have the time, please consider also writing to
your newspaper.
Sincerely,
Claire O'Leary
Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance
Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Committee
Healthy Traditions Network
Some actions
to take:
1) outline
your concerns and the consequences of this bill in a one to two
page letter
(if possible on your association letterhead) as dispassionately
as possible
avoiding terms (however they might apply here) like
"anti-democratic." Try to give examples of
common-sense/main
stream/programs/consumer preferences/that this bill would ban or
prevent.
Be polite
and as positive as possible ("you may be unaware of the unintended
consequences
of this bill"...)
Keep your
comments focused on the bill (for instance, too much background on the value
of
organics etc
will not be effective).
Stress that
any bill which limits what local communities - which include the
farmers who
live and grow there - can decide to do in their own communities
is a very
serious step and should only be taken after very careful
consideration. It is comparable to the value we place on State
Rule over Federal preemption.
Fax to the
Committee Chair and ask that he distribute copies to members of
the Senate
Ag Committee. Cc your own state senator and follow up with a call
to his or
her staff asking that they look into this issue as well.
2. Get AS MANY PEOPLE FROM AS MANY DIVERSE AREAS OF THE STATE TO
EMAIL THE
CHAIR AND
THEIR SENATOR WITH CONCERNS. You may want to include in your
contacts a
copy of your letter which they could put into their own words.
3. Get as
MANY FARMERS AS POSSIBLE to email or call or fax a letter to the
chair with a
request that their message be copied to all committee members.
Stress that
however well-intended, this will have an anti-farmer impact.
4. It is
especially important that individuals who live in the districts of
the
committee members speak out. See list below.
5. If you have done all this and still have
energy and time to spare,
send a
letter to the editor of your paper (&/or a Muskegon paper) on
why
this bill is
not good for Michigan. Members,
Senate Agriculture, Forestry, & Tourism committee
Chair, Sen.
Gerald VanWoerkom (R-Norton Shores)
Republican
of District 34
Office
Phone: (517) 373-1635?
FAX: (517)
373-3300?
Office
Location: 420 Farnum Building
E-mail
Address: SenGVanWoerkom@senate.michigan.gov
Vice Chair,
Sen. Judson Gilbert II (R-Algonac)
Judson
Gilbert II
Republican
of District 25
Office
Phone: (517) 373-7708
Office
Location: 705 Farnum Building
E-mail
Address: SenJGilbert@senate.michigan.gov
Sen. Ron
Jelinek,(R-Three Oaks)
Republican
of District 21
Office
Phone: (517) 373-6960
Office
Location: 405 Farnum Building
E-mail
Address: SenRJelinek@senate.michigan.gov
Sen. Liz
Brater (D-Ann Arbor) Minority Vice Chair
Democrat of
District 18
Office
Phone: (517) 373-2406
Office
Location: 510 Farnum Building
E-mail
Address: SenLBrater@senate.michigan.gov
Sen. Samuel
"Buzz" Thomas (D-Detroit)
Democrat of
District 4
Office
Phone: (517) 373-7918
Office
Location: 610 Farnum Building
E-mail
Address: SenBThomas@senate.michigan.gov
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