Medford, Ore. — A highly polarized measure that would ban genetically modified organisms in Jackson County will come before voters next month. The measure has two political action committees facing off, raising over $900,000 for campaigns.
A similar ban is also up for vote in Josephine County. The bulk of the money pouring in is to stop them.
According to campaign finances posted on the Secretary of State’s website, Good Neighbor Farmers has raised $812,910.00 (the number changed late Friday night) to fight the ban. Much of the money raised comes from major biotech companies. Monsanto leads the way with the largest donation – $183,294.10. DuPont Pioneer donated $129,647.05. And $75,000 comes from Syngenta Crop Protection.
The group supporting the GMO ban, Our Family Farms, has raised a fraction of that amount – $115,552.21. $59,000.00 of that comes from GMO Free Jackson.
Jackson County Clerk, Chris Walker, said she doesn’t know if this is a record amount of money raised for a local county measure. But she said this shows the passion people have on both sides of the issue.
“It does sound like a lot of money being filtered into a local measure,” Walker said. “Absolutely.”
One thing southern Oregon voters are guaranteed , this won’t be the last time you hear about a possible GMO ban this spring.
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