Federal Overreach on Consumer Labels
As a Libertarian I sometimes find myself at odds with other members of my political party over certain laws. Take for instance GMO Labeling law. I favor laws that inform us of what we are putting into our bodies. As consumers, we want to make informed free market choices. I am able to read beyond the Madison Ave puffery on food packaging, but I cannot reverse-engineer the commodity inside. I do not want to choose salmon because of the attractiveness of the pinkish food dye it is soaked in, nor because of its larger size from genetic engineering. I would much rather know which waters the fish came from, what it consumed in its lifetime, and if it was genetically engineered before I consume it. Libertarians recognize that not all laws are bad. But we apply strict scrutiny to even the most local ordinance. As candidate for Florida Attorney General my position on GMO Labeling laws is not to regulate an industry, but to provide consumer information and protection. I believe consumer protection is a proper role of government and a high priority for the people’s Attorney General.
Currently, there is a Federal GMO Labeling bill, HR 4432, recently introduced by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.). HR 4432, superficially named the “Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act” and commonly referred to as “The DARK Act” by anti-GMO activists, intends to prevent any individual state from passing its own GMO Labeling law such as Vermont, Connecticut and Maine have recently done. Proposed HR 4432, if passed, would create an unconstitutional encroachment on the laws of Florida. As candidate for Florida Attorney General I pledge to use the full power of the 9th and 10th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution to shield Florida from such federal overreach. Indeed, section 16.52, Florida Statutes, clearly mandates the Florida Attorney General “to oppose any existing or proposed federal legislative encroachments upon constitutional state powers . . . [and] to pursue that course best calculated to preserve and safeguard the constitutional state powers of the government of this state.” We, as a sovereign state and as responsible individuals, have every right to control what goes on within the borders of our state for the protection of the health, safety and welfare of all Floridians.
Bill Wohlsifer (LPF) Candidate for Attorney General
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