Today Oregon legislators and Governor John Kitzhaber will decide whether they will do the bidding of out of state multinational biotech seed giants like Monsanto and Syngenta or whether they will stand up to protect Oregon’s family farmers and the future of our seed supply.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Today the Oregon legislature could pass SB 633 (LC 5), Oregon’s Monsanto Protection Act, which would strip local countys’ control over seeds, food and agriculture and deny county elected officials’ ability to keep GMO crops from contaminating farmers’ fields.
After dying in committee during the regular session earlier this year, SB 633, now known as LC 5, industrial ag corporations joined forces with the notorious ALEC and Koch brothers to slip this seed preemption bill into an unrelated emergency PERS tax and pension bill in Oregon.
Please join us in stopping this outrageous sneak attack on family farmers, their economic livelihoods, their way of life and the future integrity and survival of organic and non-GMO seed. Already more than 1,000 family farmers and farm organizations and 28,000 individuals have signed this urgent letter – Please add your voice! http://bit.ly/stopSB633Now
NOTE: SB 633 is now SB 863
Senate Bill 863 
RSS feed for this bill
Makes legislative finding and declaration that regulation of agricultural seed, flower seed, nursery seed and vegetable seed and products of agricultural seed, flower seed, nursery seed and vegetable seed be reserved to state.
Measure activity 
House 
Senate
- Sep 30, 2013: Introduction and first reading. Referred to President’s desk.
- Sep 30, 2013: Referred to Special Session.
- Sep 30, 2013: Public Hearing and Possible Work Session scheduled.
- Oct 1, 2013: Work Session scheduled.
UPDATE:
Just came in: The prostitutes in the Oregon Senate passed SB 633/863 – This not only makes local communities not able to ban GMOs, but a ban against labeling is also included in this monster. Now it goes to the House:
SALEM — Senators passed 17-12 a controversial bill to bar counties other than Jackson from regulating genetically modified agriculture. The state would regulate seeds used for commercial agriculture under Senate Bill 863. The bill includes an emergency clause that would allow the bill to take immediate effect, precluding efforts in Benton and Lane counties to restrict genetically modified agriculture. The bill heads to the House. It is part of a complex package of five bills on public pensions, taxes and genetically modified agriculture under consideration in the special session.
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/gmo_bill_clears_senate_2013_sp.html
UPDATE:
Oregon’s Monsanto Protection Act Passes SB 863
Tags: Farm Wars, farmwars, monsanto protection act, oregon, sb 633, sb863
To all you good souled American farmers and supporters of NON GMO- we applaud you.
Best regards from New Zealand- to date it is illegal to field grow GMOs here- but some of our sick scientists want to !!!
Isn’t government paid to protect individual rights? Why is there even a vote if they were doing their jobs? Lynch the bastards.
who WROTE this bill?????????? HOW did it make it to the Gov.’s office???
WHO are the 17 IDIOT senators who voted to allow this? THEY NEED TO LOSE THEIR JOBS!
suck a genetically modified vegetable Monsanto
Monsanto must be stopped. No to GMO’s. Support the people and do not allow these poisons in our food. No to Monsanto. No to GMO’s.
Someone needs to be the first to step up to stop this madness. Genetically Modified foods have been proven to pose risks to health and must be banned. We need a foothold in the fight against GMO’s. Please be the state that leads the way.
F*** you, Monsanto!