Montana considers seed regulation bill

A bill that would prohibit cities and counties in Montana from regulating seeds has passed through a Senate committee.Senate Bill 155 would prohibit local governments from regulating "cultivation, harvesting, production, processing, registration, labeling, marketing, sale, storage, transportation, distribution, possession, notification of use, use and planting of agricultural seeds or vegetable seeds." The bill would not affect the zoning rights of local governments.  The Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation committee passed the bill on Feb. 14 by a 7-4 vote. While bill supporters did not discuss genetically modified crops, the lone opponent to speak, Adam Haight with the Northern Plains Resource Council, said wheat growers who are members of his organization worry about future GMO contamination of their crops, and local governments should be able to protect their economy.