A voter-approved ban on crops containing genetically modified organisms in Maui County, Hawaii, was invalidated by a federal judge, says the Associated Press. U.S. District Judge Susan Mollway said control of GMO crops was a matter of state and federal law, which pre-empt the county. Maui County is a major center for GMO crop research. The ordinance, adopted in a referendum last November, called for a moratorium on cultivation of GMO crops until there was a study of their safety and benefits. A sponsor of the referendum said he would appeal on grounds the county was addressing matters not covered by state or U.S. law.
Kauai and Hawaii counties adopted measures last year to regulate GMO crops and they were quickly struck down in court. Both counties decided to appeal.
In Oregon, voters in Jackson County approved an ordinance banning GMO crops more than a year ago. The ban took effect in early June but county officials are not enforcing it until a court challenge is resolved, says the Portland Oregonian. A federal judge has ruled the ban does not violate the state’s right-to-farm law and has yet to rule on arguments by farmers that they should get $4.2 million in compensation if they have to uproot their GMO alfalfa.