HB161: Agriculture & Vegetable Seed Preemption

This bill would prevent any political subdivision in NM from making it illegal to grow GMO Crops. Supported by the NMDA and the NM Farm Bureau. If you agree please let our Legislators hear from you. We need phone calls and emails to the committee. It will be heard Tuesday morning. There are lots of folks lined up against this bill. Please call and pass to your customers. Read below. I am headed up there this week. The umbrella organization for our Industry, BIO, is engaged as is our Lobbyist and Governmental affairs folks but nothing like home grown people weighing in. Some of you will receive this in duplicate, I apologize for that. Regards Greg House State Government Indian and Veterans Affairs Committee Georgene Louis 986-4327 Georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov Rudy Marteniz 986-4248 Rodolpho.marteniz@nmlegis.gov Sharon Clahchischilliage 986-4453 Sharon.clahchischill@nmlegis.gov Yvette Herrell 986-4210 Yherrell@yahoo.com Wonda Johnson 986-4236 Dwonda.johnson@nmlegis.gov Derrick Lente 986-4433 Derrick.lente@nmlegis.gov William Rehm 986-4214 Bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov Dennis Roch 986-4227 denroch@hotmail.com Andres Romero 986-4435 andres@nmlegis.gov HB161: Agriculture & Vegetable Seed Preemption sponsored by Rep. Bill Rehm & Rep. Jimmy Hall prohibits political subdivisions from adopting or continuing in effect any ordinance, rule, regulation or statute regulating agricultural or vegetable seeds, including cultivation, harvesting, sale, testing, transporting, possessing and 15 other uses. This law maintains private property rights. NMF&LB believes it should be the right of the farmer to decide what crops make sense for their business and the tools (tools approved by the federal and state governments) to use to cultivate those crops. NMF&LB supports this bill. NMF&LB supports HB161 giving the New Mexico Department of Agriculture regulatory control over which seeds can be planted in our state. Farmers in certain counties in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington cannot "propagate, cultivate, raise or grow seeds or crops of genetically engineered organisms" due to the passage of local ordinances. In New Mexico this would affect not only corn, cotton and alfalfa growers who use Roundup ready seeds, but would also leave open the door for a future ban on seeds with a neonicotinoid coating. As was mentioned in yesterday’s CALL TO ACTION, we know of several environmentalist groups, pueblo governments and acequias associations preparing to oppose HB161. We must have OUR voices heard! Please continue to contact the committee members and urge them to support the bill for these reasons: • HB161 Seed Preemption would ensure that farmers are not navigating a patchwork of county and municipality rules related to seeds. Passing HB161 would give NMDA control over seeds and give famers the predictability they need. • HB 161 ensures the consistent statewide regulation of seed, just as is the case with pesticides. The measure simply ensures that the authority to regulate seed lies with the experts at the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. Thirty fives states have seen the wisdom of one, state-wide body regulating seeds and have passed similar laws. • Seed standardization legislation maintains private property rights. Farmers are seed experts and they should decide which crops make sense for their family farm. • The bill provides for regulatory consistency, creating an environment where the marketplace drives business decisions, not a patchwork of regulations that creates burdensome roadblocks for family farms. • Codifying the uniform regulation of seed by the statewide experts - well credentialed officials at NMDA - provides long term certainty for growers and farmers. This is especially useful given that there are 136 municipal governments (county, city & town) in New Mexico. • Farmers and growers in New Mexico may own or lease land in multiple jurisdictions. Being forced to comply with varying regulations across city and town lines, even though a farmer is on his or her private property, is cost prohibitive and burdensome.