Governor Douglas Vetoes Genetically Modified Seed Bill

WCAX
Fairfield, Vermont - May 15, 2006

Governor Jim Douglas wielded his veto pen Monday and struck down S18, the
controversial genetically engineered seed liability bill recently passed by
both the Vermont House and Senate.

"It's with regret that I disapprove this bill, because I greatly respect how
passionate the arguments are around the issue of genetically engineered crops
and the work of the legislature in attempting a compromise. But S.18 fails to
find a middle ground between the competing interests," said Douglas.

Douglas and other supporters of the veto thought the bill was unnecessary and
harmful to farmers.

"Fewer and fewer farmers on a shrinking amount of acreage are providing food
and fiber to a growing number of consumers, so we have to have the latest
technology in any area if we are going to keep doing that and still pay our
bills," said Howard Howrigan, a farmer from Fairfield and supporter of the
veto.

Shortly after the veto ceremony, proponents of the bill gathered to condemn
the veto as caving into the manufacturers of genetically modified seeds.

"So this was a special interests veto. The special interests were well heeled,
they had a lot of power, a lot of money, big corporations behind them, and
their well entrenched in a big element of the farm community," said Doug
Flack, a farmer from Fairfield, and supporter of the original bill.

"It's just disappointing that the people spoke and a lot of work went on,
working with our legislators, and Governor Douglas is not listening to that,
he's listening to someone else," said Abe Collins, a farmer from St. Albans.

What's the future of S18? Well, if proponents of the bill have their way,
they'll try and override the veto in the Vermont legislature. Barring that,
they will have to regroup and start from scratch.

"We'll just come back... we'll be back, because this is really important. And
Vermont has a very special place in the agricultural world in this whole
country, and we're going to stand up for that," continued Flack.

The bill and it's corresponding veto may very well have done what no one
intended... Pitting Vermont farmers against one another.

Alex Martin - Channel 3 News