Vermont’s Governor says a national GMO labeling standard makes sense, but Peter Shumlin says he has deep concerns regarding the Senate’s bill. Vermont Public Radio reported Shumlin is concerned because the Senate compromise would delay labeling “for several years,” and allows the food manufacturer to choose how to disclose the information. Shumlin signed the Vermont mandatory labeling law in 2014. The Senate bill would supersede Vermont’s law and prohibit states from setting their own labeling requirements. It would also give the U.S. Department of Agriculture two years to finalize the national regulations. Many agriculture groups applauded the compromise announced by the Senate Agriculture Committee last week, recognizing the need for a national standard, rather than a patchwork of state laws. The legislation does not come in time to completely block the Vermont law, as the House is on recess until July 5th. It is also still unclear if the Senate has enough votes to pass the legislation. A voluntary GMO labeling bill failed on a procedural vote in the Senate earlier this year.
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