On Thursday, Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson reported in Pollinator plant labeling passes the Minnesota legislature:
The Minnesota House and Senate have approved a bill designed to protect bees and other pollinators from systemic insecticides in garden plants.
The legislation says, “A person may not label or advertise an annual plant, bedding plant, or other plant, plant material, or nursery stock as beneficial to pollinators if the annual plant, bedding plant, plant material, or nursery stock has been treated with and has a detectable level of systemic insecticide.”
University of Minnesota bee expert Marla Spivak says the legislation is an important protection for bees and reflects a new consumer demand.
“Nurseries, to stay in business, will have to pay attention to this new and strong consumer demand,” she said.
The bill takes a good step to ensure that nurseries pay attention to insecticide use on flowering plants according to Spivak. With many other legislative initiatives passed this session to help pollinating insects and birds, “it puts Minnesota in the lead nationally,” Spivak said. . .
Bluestem noted the first vote in the House in Kurt Daudt and the Neonicotinoid Nine: pollinator-friendly plant labeling bill passes 118 to 10:
Sadly, ten legislators couldn't bring themselves to support this common sense measure. They are: Mark Anderson, Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, Steve Drazkowski, Sondra Erickson, Tom Hackbarth, Jerry Hertaus, Brian Johnson, Jim Newberger, Joyce Peppin and Peggy Scott.
Wednesday, the Senate approved an amended version of the bill, 60-0. Returned to the House, the pollinator buzzkill widened, although the bill pased 111-17.
The Journal of the House records these no votes: Tony Albright, Mark Anderson, Mike Benson, Kurt Daudt, Greg Davids, Steve Drazkowski, Sondra Erickson, Dave FitzSimmons, Pat Garofalo, Tom Hackbarth, Jerry Hertaus, Joe Hoppe, Ernie Leidiger, Jim Newberger, Joyce Peppin, Duane Quam, Peggy Scott.
Benson, FitzSimmons and Leidiger are retiring after this session. Constituents of the remaining 14 naysayers might contact their legislators and ask them what they have against a common sense bill that prevents plants treated with chemicals that will kill bees from being labeled as "pollinator friendly."
Uffda.
Meme: Bees mean life, since most fruits and vegetables need pollinators to create produce.
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