So it would seem.

Always a good idea to drop by The Ethicurean when you have a sec, but this item from DairyQueen (we're not worthy!) deserves special attention.

The House’s Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry has added this language to its markup of the Farm Bill:

No State or locality shall make any law prohibiting the use in commerce of an article that the Secretary of Agriculture has inspected and passed; or determined to be of non-regulated status.

Basically, this vague-sounding sentence would override state laws prohibiting or regulating the use of genetically modified food, food from clones, or other types of food so long as they were approved by USDA. So, bye-bye to the bans on GMO planting enacted by three California counties (Mendocino, Trinity and Marin), adios to cloned-food-labeling bills introduced by California legislators, so long to Washington State legislation that prohibits planting of GE canola in areas near the state’s large non-GE seed production. The USDA is the decider. States are the soldiers who don’t question orders.

EWG has not taken positions on GMOs in the past--it's been outside our research area. But we do object, in principle, to proposals that would preempt by federal fiat state and local efforts that are intended to strengthen protection of the environment or public health.

DairyQueen--Your Highness--EWG will add this issue to our Farm Bill agenda and pass the word along to our colleagues.

Much thanks.