Federal Bill Blocking GMO Labeling Stalls in Senate
Vote Count from the Northeast
In a short-term victory for consumers, yesterday the Senate failed to pass a measure that would preempt state GMO labeling laws. The motion was voted down on a 48-49 vote, which, according to NPR's food blog, The Salt, indicates that a compromise will most likely have to be crafted. Here's the vote count from Senators representing NESAWG's 12-state region:
Connecticut: Blumenthal (D) — Nay; Murphy (D) — Nay
Delaware: Carper (D) — Yea; Coons (D) — Nay
Maine: Collins (R) — Nay King (I) — Nay
Maryland: Cardin (D) — Nay; Mikulski (D) — Nay
Massachusetts: Markey (D) — Nay; Warren (D) — Nay
New Hampshire: Ayotte (R) — Yea; Shaheen (D) — Nay
New Jersey: Booker (D) — Nay; Menendez (D) — Nay
New York: Gillibrand (D) — Nay; Schumer (D) — Nay
Pennsylvania: Casey (D) — Nay; Toomey (R) — Yea
Rhode Island: Reed (D) — Nay; Whitehouse (D) — Nay
Vermont: Leahy (D) — Nay; Sanders (I) — Not Voting
West Virginia: Capito (R) — Yea; Manchin (D) — Nay
Currently three states have passed laws requiring GMO ingredients to be labeled: Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Maine and Massachusetts's laws have clauses requiring other states to pass laws before their law takes effect. Vermont's law contains no such clause and will take effect this summer. (More on this here.)