[[{“value”:”A provocative bill that critics claim protects pesticide manufacturers from civil lawsuits over the labeling of their products was passed by the Iowa Senate.
According to OurQuadCities, Senate File 2412 “allows that if a label is approved by the EPA ( U. S. Environmental Protection Agency ) and is consistent with the most recent human health assessment under federal law and the EPA’s carcinogen classification, companies would be safe from civil liability”.
But, critics claimed that the health risks associated with brands like Roundup and Paraquat are well known.
In an effort to stop lawsuits alleging the popular weedkiller has caused cancer, Baker, the chemical company that produces Roundup, put forth the bill in Iowa and different states. As long as their products have a legally approved label, pesticide manufacturers are not held accountable for failing to warn consumers of potential health risks, according to Iowa Public Radio.
” Iowa Senate votes to halt litigation over Roundup. State lawmakers continue to push a bill that would legalize pesticide manufacturers like Bayer, who contributed to the bill, according to GMWatch, an independent publication that examines the genetically modified ( GMO ) foods and crops and their associated pesticides.
The Iowa Senate votes to halt lawsuits involving Roundup. State lawmakers continue to push for a bill that would give pesticide producers, like Bayer, who contributed to the bill, constitutional protections as cancer rates in Iowa rise. https ://t.co/2f3p2PnfRF
— GMWatch ( @GMWatch ) April 3, 2024
Iowa Public Radio reports:
Democrats claimed the bill supports Iowans who are facing terminal illness, while Republicans said it would prevent pesticide companies from being sued for breaking national labeling laws.
Senate President Amy Sinclair, R- Allerton, said the bill is needed to protect current farming practices.
” Iowa feeds the world”, Sinclair said. And we need partners who do n’t constantly face legal challenges for breaking the laws that govern their business practices.
Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum, D- Muscat, said the bill takes ahead Iowans ‘ right to sue for being sickened by pesticides, and it protects multinational corporations.
” This bill is stripping away the constitutional protections for Iowa farmers”, she said. And they are the ones who are putting chemicals on their land that we know are the cause of diseases like Parkinson’s and cancer.
According to Andrew Mertens from the Iowa Association for Justice,” Study after study has now demonstrated that these chemical products will increase your risk of developing either cancer or Parkinson’s.”
We Are Iowa noted:
According to the Iowa Cancer Consortium, there is a link “between sure agricultural practices and pesticide use, and cancer” for agricultural workers.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer reached the same conclusion in 2015, defining glyphosate as “probably harmful to humans.”
Bayer, the parent company of Roundup, has spent more than$ 10 billion to settle lawsuits claiming their product causes cancer, per the Associated Press. Around 200 Iowans have filed lawsuits against the business, alleging that the product caused them to become cancer-positive.
On the debate floor Tuesday, Sen. Jeff Edler, R- Marshall County, argued those lawsuits have inflated the prices of these products, deeper impacting Iowa farmers.
” We’re dealing with billions of dollars of lawsuits against the farm industry”, Edler said. ” The reality is, that money is coming out of farmers ‘ pockets”.
Senate Political Whip Nate Boulton, D- Polk County, disagreed.
” Business greed prevails with these companies,” we have repeatedly observed. this body is presently considering legislation to protect those companies”, Boulton said. ” This is madness”.
WATCH:
” Senate File 2412 is about shielding pesticide companies from liability. This legislation would be the only one of its kind in the whole nation, and it is headed for the governor’s desk for signature. A pretty conservative state, Idaho, only rejected a similar measure this year”, Iowa state Senator Sarah Trone Garriott, a Democrat, said.
WATCH:
A couple bills from today’s senatorial debate: protections for pesticide companies, and a flat rate is not the same as a flat tax. pic. twitter.com/C3So4kp4Cx
— Sarah Trone Garriott ( @SarahforIowa ) April 2, 2024
The bill, which is supported by Bayer, aims to shield the company and others like it from lawsuits accusing their products of failing to warn consumers about possible health issues, including cancer, according to the Des Moines Register.
In states like Iowa and Missouri, proposed bills are intended to shield pesticide producers like Bayer from lawsuits over the potential harm caused by their products. ( Bayer recently bought Monsanto, producer of RoundUp ).
These bills are backed by Bayer, who claims the “future … pic. twitter.com/0jwabO4nbs
— Conscious Strength (@ConsciousSTRG ) April 4, 2024
From the Des Moines Register:
Craig Mischo, a lobbyist with Bayer, called the measure a” labeling bill,” saying there are no dollar caps on lawsuits and” we can also be sued for anything else.”
Advocate groups argued that Bayer’s interpretation of the law would successfully cut off people from a variety of constitutional options.
” Some of these different torts that he’s talking about, like public negligence, all include a component or an element of a warning,” said Kellie Paschke, with the Iowa Association for Justice”. We ca n’t file any additional claims because this legislation was signed into law.
The Senate version of the measure, Senate File 2412, passed on a 30- 19 vote. Four Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.
Read Senate File 2412 HERE.”}]] [[{“value”:”
The Iowa Senate has passed a controversial law that critics claim will protect pesticide manufacturers against civil lawsuits over the labeling of their product.
According to OurQuadCities Senate File 2412 “allows companies to be free from civil liability if a label has been approved by the EPA and is in accordance with the latest human health assessment under federal laws and the EPA’s carcinogen classification.”
Critics, however, said that the health risks associated products like Roundup or Paraquat were well-known.
“Bayer is the chemical company which produces Roundup. They proposed the bill to Iowa and other states as a way to reduce lawsuits claiming that the widely used weedkiller causes cancer. It says that pesticide manufacturers cannot be held responsible for failing to warn people about possible health risks, as long as their product has a federally approved label,” Iowa Public Radio reports.
“Iowa Senate votes on limiting lawsuits over Roundup.” As cancer rates rise in Iowa, state legislators continue to advance a law that would add legal safeguards for pesticide manufacturers like Bayer who helped draft the bill.
Iowa Senate votes to limit lawsuits involving Roundup. As cancer rates rise in Iowa, state legislators continue to advance a law that would add legal safeguards for pesticide manufacturers like Bayer, which helped write the bill. https://t.co/2f3p2PnfRF
— GMWatch April 3, 2024
Iowa Public Radio reports:
Republicans who support the bill say it will ensure that pesticide companies do not face lawsuits for following federal labeling regulations, while Democrats claim the bill is in favor of corporations and against Iowans with terminal illnesses.
Amy Sinclair, R, Allerton, Senate President, said that the bill was needed to protect modern agricultural practices.
Sinclair said, “Iowa feeds a world.” “We need partners who aren’t constantly threatened with lawsuits because they follow the laws that govern the way they do their business.”
Senate Minority leader Pam Jochum (D-Dubuque) said that the bill protects multinational corporations and takes away Iowans’ right to sue if they are sickened by pesticides.
She said that the bill would strip Iowa farmers of their legal protections. “And it’s them who get diseases like Parkinson’s and cancer from chemicals that they put on their land, which we know are causing these diseases.”
We Are Iowa Local 5 News reported that Andrew Mertens, from the Iowa Association for Justice, said: “Study after research has shown that these chemical products increase your risk of developing cancer or Parkinson’s.”
We Are Iowa noted:
According to the Iowa Cancer Consortium there is a connection “between certain agricultural practices, pesticide use and cancer” among agricultural workers.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) came to the same conclusion and classified glyphosate “probably carcinogenic for humans.”
According to the Associated Press, Bayer, the parent of Roundup, spent more than $10 billion in settlements for lawsuits claiming that their product causes cancer. Around 200 Iowans filed their own lawsuits, claiming that the product caused cancer.
Sen. Jeff Edler (R-Marshall County) argued on the debate floor that these lawsuits have increased the prices of the products, further affecting Iowa farmers.
Edler said, “We are dealing with billions in lawsuits against the farming industry.” “The truth is that money is coming from farmers’ pockets.”
Senator Nate Boulton (D-Polk County) disagreed.
“We have seen that corporate greed has always won with these companies …. Boulton said that this body is now considering legislation in order to protect these companies. “This is madness.”
WATCH:
“Senate File No. 2412 is about protecting pesticide companies from legal liability.” This would be the first law of its kind in America, and it is headed to the governor for signature. Idaho, a conservative state, rejected a measure similar this year,” said Iowa state senator Sarah Trone Garriott.
WATCH:
Two bills were discussed in today’s Senate debate: pesticide company protections and a flat-rate is not the same thing as a tax. pic.twitter.com/C3So4kp4Cx
Sarah Trone Garriott April 2, 2024
The Des Moines Register reported that “the bill, supported by Bayer, is intended to protect the company, and others like it, from lawsuits alleging their products did not adequately warn of potential health issues including cancer.”
In states like Iowa and Missouri, proposed bills are trying to shield pesticide manufacturers like Bayer from lawsuits regarding the possible harm caused by their pesticide products. (Bayer bought Monsanto – the producer of RoundUp – recently).
These bills are backed by Bayer, who claims the “future… pic.twitter.com/0jwabO4nbs
— Conscious Strength (@ConsciousSTRG) April 4, 2024
The Des Moines Register
Craig Mischo, Bayer’s lobbyist, called the measure “labeling legislation,” saying that there are no dollar limits on lawsuits, and “we can be sued for anything.”
Advocate groups disagreed that Bayer’s interpretation would effectively bar members of the public from a range of legal options.
Kellie Paschke of the Iowa Association for Justice said that “some of these torts he is talking about, such as general negligence, include a component of a warning.” “If this legislation is signed into law, that takes it off the table… so we cannot bring any other claims.”
The Senate version, Senate File 2412 passed with a vote of 30-19. Four Republicans joined Democrats to oppose the measure.
Click HERE to read Senate File 2412.
“}]]
