The new chairmen of the House and Senate agriculture committees are both from the Big Island, but their stance on genetically modified crops couldn’t be more different.
The strong positions that Senate Agriculture Chairman Russell Ruderman and House Agriculture Chairman Clift Tsuji have taken on each side of GMO laws almost guarantee a stalemate on issues such as state pre-emption of county farming regulations, counties’ home-rule rights and just about anything dealing with GMO limits or labeling when the state Legislature convenes for its regular session Wednesday.
Tsuji, D-Hilo, is returning to the leadership post following a short absence after a long stint chairing the House Agriculture Committee. In 2010, the national GMO advocacy group Biotechnology Industry Organization named him, along with former House Speaker Calvin Say, co-legislator of the year for their support of agriculture bioscience.
Ruderman, D-Puna, Ka‘u, is beginning his first term as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Ruderman owns the Island Naturals chain of natural food stores and strongly supports GMO labeling and counties’ home-rule rights in the area of GMO regulation.
Committee chairmen have broad powers in the state Legislature to schedule or not schedule bills for hearings. But components of bills can, and often do, get attached to other bills during end-of-session negotiations in conference committees.
via GMO faces likely stalemate in Hawaii Legislature | West Hawaii Today.