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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Community gathers to mourn slain Seaside officer ... Work expected to begin by summer on Highway 62 bypass ... Josephine County man arrested on drug, child neglect charges ... Community gathers to mourn slain Seaside officer ... Work expected to begin by summer on Highway 62 bypass ... Josephine County man arrested on drug, child neglect charges ... SALEM Oregon lawmakers considering local seed, crop regulation Jackson County already has GMO ban in effect Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Feb. 10, 2016 at 4:04 PM By The Associated Press Posted Feb. 10, 2016 at 4:04 PM » Social News SALEM — Local governments could regain control over crop and seed regulation under a bill being considered by Oregon lawmakers. More than two dozen people testified during a Tuesday hearing about the bill, which would repeal a 2013 law stripping that authority from counties, The Statesman Journal reported. Lawmakers passed that bill in a special session after Jackson County made plans to put a local GMO ban to a vote. Jackson County was exempt from the rule and that ban has gone into effect. "This bill puts the decision-making back to the local government. That's where people can't get bought out," said Elise Higley, a Jackson County farmer and director of Our Family Farms Coalition, referring to large campaign contributions from agribusiness companies. A dozen companies, including Monsanto, Novartis and Syngenta, contributed at least $127,745 to lawmakers in the weeks after the 2013 special session was announced. The money went to legislators' campaign committees, two Republican caucus political action committees and three other PACs that contribute to candidates. Farmers argue that they can suffer financially when nearby genetically engineered crops contaminate their fields and hope local control can help prevent that. The bill's opponents call on farmers to resolve conflicts among themselves and argue that local control would create a patchwork of regulations. "It is very common for farmers and foresters to have land in multiple counties, and oftentimes a single field can straddle county boundaries," said Scott Dahlman, policy director for Oregonians for Food & Shelter. The committee will take up the issue again on Thursday. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Feb. 10, 2016 at 4:04 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501