Hounded by Luddites, the Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai County Councils have voted to demand GMO food labeling but in California the forces of ignorance and superstition were beaten back as Prop 37 GMO labeling was defeated 53-47% on the November ballot.   From No on 37 here are the reasons it was opposed: 

Conflicts with Science

More than 400 scientific studies have shown foods made with GE ingredients are safe. The American Medical Association, World Health Organization, National Academy of Sciences, and the US Food and Drug Administration all agree. Putting scary sounding labels on foods will mislead consumers.

The American Medical Association says “There is no scientific justification for labeling of bioengineered foods.”

Find out why the scientific community opposes Prop. 37.

Learn why doctors believe genetically engineered foods are safe.

Higher Grocery Bills and Taxpayer Costs

The official state analysis of Prop 37 concludes that it would cost taxpayers millions, and economic studies show that, by forcing food products to be repackaged or remade with higher priced ingredients, Prop 37 would cost the average California family up to $400 per year in higher grocery costs.

Nearly Every Daily Newspaper in California Agrees: No Prop. 37 -- Read the editorials

Growing California Bureaucracy

Prop 37 forces state bureaucrats to administer its complex requirements by monitoring tens of thousands of food labels at tens of thousands of grocery stores, retail outlets, farms and food companies. In fact, it sets no limit on how many millions would be spent on bureaucracy, red tape and lawsuits.  It’s a blank check… paid by taxpayers.

More Shakedown Lawsuits that Enrich Trial Lawyers

Prop 37 creates a whole new category of shakedown lawsuits allowing lawyers to sue family farmers and grocers without any proof of harm. Faced with shakedown lawsuits, grocers and farmers can either pay to settle or pay the high cost of defending themselves. Either way, lawyers get rich, but consumers pay higher grocery bills and taxpayer costs.  And it’s no surprise that the lawyers who stand to gain if Prop 37 passes are involved in the campaign that’s pushing it.  Source: Prop 37, Section 111910(a) and (b) and Section 110809.4

Find out more about the trial lawyer who wrote Prop. 37.

Wife of notorious trial lawyer Bill Lerach contributed $25,000 to Prop. 37.

Tom Scott, executive director of CA Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse says to “beware of trial lawyers lurking in your food.”

The Daily Caller, 08/14/12, California’s Prop. 37: A feast for lawyers

Reason, 08/14/12, California Initiative Puts Profit Ahead of Science

Special Interest Exemptions That Don’t Make Sense

Prop. 37 is full of absurd, politically motivated exemptions that make no sense. It requires special labels on soy milk, but exempts cow’s milk. Dairy products, eggs, meat and poultry are all exempt. Fruit juice requires a label, but alcohol made with some of the same GE ingredients is exempt. Food sold in a grocery store requires a label, but the same food sold in a restaurant is exempt.  Food imported from China and other foreign countries are exempt if sellers simply claim their products are “GE free”. Unscrupulous foreign companies can game the system.

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Related: The Future of Fraud