× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

In late 2016 when the Montana Ag Coalition focused attention on the 2017 Legislature and began fine tuning our priorities we decided to be proactive and construct a bill that created uniformity of seed regulations across the state. That decision became SB155 – Prohibit Local Government Regulation of Agricultural Seeds. This bill was written solely by the members of the Montana Ag Coalition, along with the support of the Montana Association of Counties, for the benefit of the many individual producers those groups represent.

The purpose of this bill is to protect Montana’s many producers of agricultural goods from patchwork regulations on the local and county level. Supporting this bill means we are supporting all facets of agricultural production. Local and county regulations of seed are not necessarily limited to potential bans on the production of genetically modified seeds, they can also include bans on organic production, traditional breeding, or any other regulation a local or county entity can pass into law. These patchwork regulations make it difficult for farmers to maintain the free flow of goods and services across the state. Most of Montana’s agricultural products are exported out of the state and our producers rely on a uniform rule of law and unencumbered commerce to maintain those exports. Local and county regulations inhibit our ability to do that.