For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Genetic Engineering page and our Millions Against Monsanto page.

Sacramento, Calif. – California moms, environmental and food safety groups celebrated today as the Appropriations Committee passed SB 1381 (Evans) with a 5-2 vote, sending the GMO labeling bill to the Senate Floor. The Senate will vote on the bill sometime next week.

“We’re thrilled and we look forward to a discussion in the California Senate about our right to know what’s in our food and how it’s grown,” said Kristin Urquiza, co-coordinator of Californians for GE Food Labeling. “California is at the leading edge of states that want to provide more information and choice in our food system.”

The bill is garnering more and more attention across the state, with the list of supporters and engagement by moms growing every day. In just the past week alone, thousands of Californians called legislators to voice support.

Susan Lang, a Sacramento area mother of two who testified at an earlier hearing explained her support for GMO labeling: “In 64 countries around the world, moms have the right to read a label and know whether the food they serve is from genetically engineered crops, which can be laden with pesticides. California mothers also deserve the right to know about GMOs. We’re the ones responsible for choosing what to feed our kids, not the government or the pesticide companies.”

The bill is an even clearer version of Prop 37 that had huge support in 2012 – the current, amended version contains no citizen’s enforcement provision. 

The news from California is the latest development in a string of successes that show momentum is building across the country for the right to know about GMOs. On May 9th, Vermont became the first state in the nation to label GMOs. Yesterday, in the US Senate, a bipartisan amendment to label GMO salmon passed the Appropriations Committee and will be voted on by the full US Senate. And Oregon just announced efforts to collect signatures for a November ballot initiative to label GMOs.