Wednesday, March 06, 2013

State house panel hears GMO arguments | The Seattle Times

State house panel hears GMO arguments | The Seattle Times

A hearing Wednesday saw many of same people testify on Legislative Initiative 522, which would require labeling of foods with genetically engineered ingredients.

Seattle Times business reporter

Washington state legislators heard a preview Wednesday of the genetic-engineering food fight expected to be on this fall’s ballot.

The hearing on Legislative Initiative 522, which would require companies to label foods with genetically-engineered ingredients, was basically the House version of a state Senate committee hearing in February.
Many of the same people testified, including Robert Maguire, an attorney with Davis Wright Tremaine who represented the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

He described legal flaws he sees in I-522 to a joint hearing of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and the Technology and Economic Development Committee.

The Legislature rarely passes legislative initiatives. When it does not, the measures appear on the ballot for voters to decide. Lawmakers can add their own modified version for voters to consider alongside the original, but that too is rare.

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