There are two dates every year when we have to be especially conscious of changes in government laws and/or regulations – one is January 1 and the other is today, July 1, the start of many government fiscal years. With so much new regulation being piled on to the business community, we thought it might…
Read More »In a little over one month, Vermont will become the first state in the nation actually requiring the labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMO). The Vermont mandate was signed into law just over 2 years ago and immediately challenged by the Grocery Manufacturers Association along with the Snack Food Association, International Dairy Foods…
Read More »GMO labeling is set to become effective in the state of Vermont this July 1 and as a result, Congress is moving much more quickly than usual in order to forestall a patchwork of state laws and regulations over genetically modified organisms (GMO). This week, the US Senate began debating a federal voluntary labeling bill…
Read More »Speaking of Vermont, the state was the first to mandate special labeling of foodstuffs containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) back in 2014 when Governor Shumlin signed the labeling legislation into law. Since that time, the law has been challenged by the Grocers Manufacturers Association in a lawsuit that is still pending (the court rejected the…
Read More »We haven’t heard much of it lately, but the GMO labeling issue is still very much alive in a number of states. The state of Maine adopted GMO labeling back in 2014, however the law included two distinct and important caveats – a delayed effective date and an automatic repeal provision. Currently, GMO labeling requirements…
Read More »As they rush to get to their Christmas vacation, Congress also appears set to pass the other half of the deal – an omnibus spending bill necessary to keep the government operating into the New Year. With critical legislation such as the Omnibus Spending bill, Congress will often try to attach policy riders to piggy-back…
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Customers may be lining up like never before for coffee, donuts and other treats as the economy rolls again, but Big Brother appears intent on crashing the party. Dunkin’ and other quick service franchise owners are facing an avalanche of new regulations and laws across the country dictating everything from what you pay an employee…
Read More »The US House last week passed the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (H.1599) preempting states from requiring the mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). House passage comes as more states are entertaining the mandatory labelling of GMOs. A major concern with state mandates is the impossible task that food manufacturers would…
Read More »There was good news and bad news in the decision of the US District Court Judge Christina Reiss – she allowed the challenge to move forward, but denied the injunction sought by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, along with the Snack Food Association, the International Dairy Foods Association and the National Association of Manufacturers. The industry…
Read More »Although one might not normally identify the state of Maine as a hotbead of legislative activity, it is certainly fitting that bill thus far this year. Maine’s pro-business Governor Paul LePage has been advocating legislation that would prohibit individual cities and towns from creating their own minimum wages, and representatives of his administration spoke in…
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