One day after the Senate Ag Committee passed a voluntary biotech labeling bill and sent it to the full Senate, an Oregon Senator has introduced a mandatory biotech labeling measure. Senator Jeff Merkley’s bill is cosponsored by Democrats Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Jon Tester of Montana. Nebraska Farm Bureau National Affairs Coordinator Jordan Dux says mandatory labeling creates many costly problems.

While Senator Ag Chair Pat Roberts is sponsoring the voluntary legislation, Ag Committee ranking member Debbie Stabenow prefers a mandatory label. Dux says what Senators need to realize is that a mandatory measure won’t pass either the Senate or the House.

Dux says if Congress fails to pass a biotech labeling bill before this summer and the Vermont law goes into effect it’ll have potentially devastating effects.

Dux says national labeling legislation is needed and to work it must be voluntary.