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Local Food Ordinance One Step Closer to Lane County Ballot

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Rachael McDonald
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A group called "Support Local Food Rights" is one step closer to placing a measure on the November 2014 ballot in Lane County. Their initiative would restrict Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs, from being planted in the county.

The group's original ballot measure for its "Local Food System Ordinance" was rejected by the County Clerk because it addressed more than one subject.
Kneeland: "We're very excited that we've worked in cooperation with the county to submit an initiative that has been approved for the single subject rule."

Ann Kneeland is with Support Local Food Rights. The group re-submitted its measure-- and got approval from the County Clerk. Once they have a ballot title, they can begin collecting 11 thousand signatures to get the initiative on the ballot. There's a bill in Salem which bars local communities from restricting GMOs. Kneeland blames corporate food producers.

Kneeland: "And so to us it's an additional poke in the eye to local people and our rights to participate in our democratic system."
Kneeland says if that bill passes in the legislature and her local Food System Ordinance is approved by voters, there may be a court battle in the future.
 

Rachael McDonald is KLCC’s former News Director. Rachael has a BA in English from the University of Oregon. She started out in public radio as a newsroom volunteer at KLCC in 2000. After reporting for the Northwest News Network and KAZU, Rachael returned to KLCC in 2007 as Morning Edition host and a general assignment reporter covering politics, the environment, education, and the arts. She was hired as KLCC News Director in 2018. Rachael departed KLCC in June, 2022.
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