Washington state: 'Living wage' measure leads, GMO labeling trails [View all]

[alp227]

Source: LA Times

SEATTLE –In the election night count of ballots in Washington state, a "living wage" measure in the small city of SeaTac was ahead in the polls, while a statewide measure to require the labeling of some genetically engineered foods appeared to be lagging.

Because Washington votes entirely by mail, ballot counting will not be completed until later in the week. About half of all mailed ballots are generally completed by the Friday before election day, election officials say, but as long as ballots have a Nov. 5 postmark, they will be counted.

Initiative 522, a food labeling measure that received nationwide attention, mirrored California’s Proposition 37, which lost narrowly a year ago. It was the costliest initiative campaign in Washington history.

With almost a million votes counted Tuesday night, I-522 was behind, with 45% of the voters giving the measure a thumbs-up and 55% saying no. There are 3.9 million registered voters in the state.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-washington-state-living-wage-genetically-altered-foods-measure-20131105,0,665430.story

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See also:

AP, Wash. state measure on labeling GMO foods failing

Seattle Times, I-522 trails in all but 4 counties

USA Today, Washington state voters reject labeling of GMO foods

Speaking of I-522:



Additionally:

The most prevalent claim is that all GMOs are harmful to health and cause a variety of illnesses: cancer,[28] autism,[29] reproductive problems, infant mortality, liver problems and many other things.[30] These claims are totally false and on the same level as vaccine hysteria. The vast majority of supporting "research" comes from a small group of ideologically motivated cranks.

The scientific consensus says that there are no generic health risks common for all GM food. Any possible harm can only come from a specific engineered trait. This view is shared by the World Health Organization,[31] the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the European Food Safety Agency, the International Council for Science,[32] the U.S. National Academies of Science,[33] and almost all national scientific bodies. All GM traits currently on the market have been tested in animals and found safe.

And as biologist PZ Myers explains:

All of our crops, everyone’s crops, are heavily modified genetically. Wild strawberries are tiny little things. Corn is a hybrid monster shaped by centuries of selection, twisted from a seedy little grass into this weird elaborate conglomeration. Wheat and barley and rye are the product of thousands of years of genetic reshuffling and selection. Walk into the produce section of your grocery store — do you really think all those fruits and vegetables are unshaped by human hands?

This strange unfounded fear of GMOs is unfortunately most strongly expressed in the political left. It’s embarrassing that political progressives are being made to look bad by raging superstition and unscientific claims.

If it's a dumb idea to include "evolution is a theory, not a fact" disclaimers on science textbooks (which really did happen) or accuse vaccines of causing autism in children (thanks a lot, corporate media!) why label genetically modified food if there's no real evidence of adverse effects?