By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
The Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee in a 5-3 vote Tuesday passed a bill to the floor that drew concerns in public testimony around pesticides used in agricultural areas.
Sen. Mark Harris, R-Soda Springs, sponsored Senate Bill 1245, saying it is intended to clarify that existing pesticide labeling already required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is sufficient under state law for warning against health and safety.
Harris said lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers of pesticide products, when the labeling process is already an eight to twelve-year process and uses sound science.
“Idaho farmers and ranchers can’t afford to lose the pesticides that are manufactured here in the U.S.,” Harris said. “We are at risk of having to source the pesticide products from foreign countries that would subject our farmers and ranchers to unnecessary supply chain disruptions.”
The committee heard from farmers in support of the bill who need pesticides to grow their crops. They also heard from testifiers who do not believe the EPA labeling process is sufficient.
Lance Giles testified on behalf of the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association.
Giles said he believed as the bill is written, a person in Idaho could not sue the manufacturer of a pesticide should a person or community become sick due to that pesticide.
“Meanwhile, the company that made and profited from the bad product walks away without penalty,” Giles said.
Jonathan Oppenheimer of the Idaho Conservation League testified in opposition to the bill, noting that it was virtually identical to bills being passed in other states.
“We urge you to ask a fundamental question,” Oppenheimer told the committee. “If pesticides manufacturers need immunity for products they know to be safe, why do they need that immunity? There are already systems in place for frivolous lawsuits.”
Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, and Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Viola, voted against advancing the bill.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.