Dive Brief:
- The hearings set for a challenge to Maui, HI's ban of genetically modified crops may now be pushed back a few months due to pending legislation, says a federal judge.
- Her reasoning is that bills in the state House or Senate may pass and render the lawsuit moot.
- There wasn't argument from the attorneys for the plaintiffs, Monsanto Co. and Agrigentics Inc., a Dow Chemical Co. segment. Attorneys for Maui County agreed to the move, saying they "didn't want to spend resources enforcing the law only to have it rendered invalid later," reports the Associated Press.
Dive Insight:
Certain voters may be disappointed in the outcome of the lawsuit that could negate the GMO ban they voted for last year. Hawaii and Kauai county councils passed similar GMO legislation that was eventually overturned by federal courts as well. Both councils are appealing to the 9th Circuit Court for another shot. The Committee of the Whole will take a look at two cases regarding Maui County's GMO legislation, one at the federal level and another at the state, on March 13.