Another Monsanto Protection Act

From the Heartland, Margot McMillen writes: Well, here’s a piece of crap. The Senate Continuing Resolution spending bill, which should have nothing in it except items pertaining to spending, contains the “biotech rider” (section 735) that would protect biotech companies from any kind of regulation if they want to try out some new kind of illegal, hazardous invented crop on the land. Federal courts, who have occasionally stopped the planting of illegal crops, would have no authority to stop the planting of these illegal crops. The rider was originally part of the Farm Bill that didn’t pass last year, and then it was attached to a house appropriations bill and now has appeared from the senate side. There will be a vote very soon, maybe tomorrow, rushed through to get it approved before planting season. These biotech companies, with their bins of experimental seeds, are just itching to get more income streams going and they want to plant them this year. The Center for Food Safety is leading on this issue and has petitions on their website to sign. Here’s what they say: “There are two asks: 1) urge your Senator to oppose the biotech rider and support any amendment that would strike the rider, and 2) Tell Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Mikulski that she should not support the biotech rider. Feel free to use this as a template: http://bit.ly/DumpTheMonsantoRider (feel free to call it either the “biotech rider” or “Monsanto rider”)” You, dear reader, must help strike this amendment. Call, write or e-mail your Senator right now. That’s the only way we can get Senators to take this situation seriously.