SB 1037 would restore counties' rights to protect local farmers' crops from harmful effects of genetically engineered crops. These rights were stripped in the 2013 special session with the passage of SB 863 in the Grand Bargain, which created a statewide preemption without corresponding protections for farmers.
Passage of this bill will provide a legislative fix for Josephine County and protect the GE crop ban voted passed in 2014 and the will of the people in that county. When that is in place, together Josephine and Jackson County can protect their farmers and this unique seed growing region with more than 3300 square miles of a GE Free Seed Sanctuary!
The Legislature needs to act to:
- Restore the ability of local farmers to address their diverse agricultural needs at a community level.
- Allow farmers to determine what will work best in their agricultural communities, such as creating GE-free zones or other solutions.
- Allow communities throughout Oregon to protect high-value agricultural crops, such as wheat, alfalfa, and specialty seed.
Send an email in SUPPORT of SB 1037 to the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources for it to become part of the official hearing record. Send to: [email protected]
Hearing date is Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 3:00 pm. Testimony must be received by the committee 24 hours in advance in order to be available to the committee during the hearing. That deadline is Tuesday, April 11, 2017 at 3:00 pm. (You may submit testimony after the Tuesday deadline up until Wednesday, April 12 at 3:00 pm. It simply is not guaranteed to be available during the hearing, but will be available afterwards. Go ahead. Send it in!)
Subject = Senate Bill 1037 testimony from [your name and name of business or organization, if appropriate]
Attach your testimony document to the email. PDF format is recommended.
Please include the following information at the top of your testimony document:
Senate Environment & Natural Resources Committee - Hearing date: April 12, 2017
Testimony from [your name or name of your business or organization] in SUPPORT of Senate Bill 1037
If you are representing a business (such as a farm) or organization, be sure to state that as well as your location (city or town is adequate.) You can also include annual sales, number of people employed or number of members.
If you are submitting testimony as a citizen, include your location (city or town is adequate.)
If one of the committee members is your Senator or your business or organization is in their district , mention that you are a constituent.
PDF format is recommended.
You may address your comments to “Chair Dembrow and members of the Environment & Natural Resources Committee”
You can also send individual emails to key members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee and ask them to support SB1037:
Sen. Alan Olsen-R - 503-986-1720
Sen. Herman E. Baertschiger Jr.-R - 503-986-1702
Sen. Arnie Roblan-R - 503-986-1705
Thank Senators Dembrow and Prozanski for supporting the bill!
Sen Michael Dembrow-D - 503-986-1723
Sen Floyd Prozanski-D - 503-986-1704
Thank you for YOUR support!
