The state House of Representatives has again failed to pass a bill designed to protect small farmers from genetically modified crops.
House Bill 46 would have protected farmers from lawsuits when genetically modified plants are found growing on their land.
At issue is the fact that genetically modified organisms are patented by corporations like Monsanto, and there’ve been lawsuits in other states. This bill failed the House twice before, once on a tie vote.
Opponents of it argued there have been no lawsuits in New Mexico to this point anyway, and said current law is designed to protect large-scale farmers who use genetically-modified seeds.
Supporters, including Aztec Republican Representative Paul Bandy, a rancher, said it was a mistake for the federal government to extend patents and intellectual property rights to a living thing. In explaining why he sponsored the bill, Bandy said at one time he managed a co-op of dozens of small farmers who cultivated about 20,000 acres.
“All the farmers there saved their seed,” Bandy said. “You know we saved the seed for the farmers, and cleaned it and gave it back to them, and they planted it again. And I could see how this law, that were that genetic material to come in contact with the seed that our farmers were saving that they would be liable to the manufacturer.”
In the end, opponents had gathered enough votes to kill the measure fully on a margin of 43 to 37.
