Chris Hardy says he pours his heart and soul into the Fry Famil Farm in Ashland.
That’s why the activist with GMO Free Jackson County says the state has no business on this land.
Monday Governor John Khitzhaber called a special session on pensions and taxes that would give education a 100-million dollar boostand added a bill on GMO farming that would outlaw local bans on planting genetically modified seeds.
Democratic senator Alan Bates says the move is political.
“It’s a really tough deal Monsanto wants a GMO situation which only the state can ban it and they’re funding republican campaign heavily.”
Republican Representative Sal Esquivel told us Thursday tacking GMO’s onto the special session is random but that states should have control over such a complex issue.
Saying: “There needs to be more scientific information so far I’ve never heard a scientist testify before the legislature that’s anti GMO.”
Thursday farmers like hardy will be protesting the bill before a hearing at the capitoland after that pushing a local measure that would make Jackson County exempt.
“Why would we want the state dictating how a farmer does or doesn’t carry out the business on the farm it just makes zero sense at all,” says hardy.”
People will get a chance to vote for the Jackson County GMO measure in May 2014.
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