Maui GMO ban supporters seek to dismiss lawsuit

A group of moms and environmental groups are among those who are asking a judge to dismiss a federal lawsuit challenging a new Maui ban on genetically modified organisms.

The coalition filed a motion Friday to either dismiss the lawsuit by Monsanto Co. and a unit of Dow Chemical Co., or let a state court decide the issue.

The filing comes after a federal judge ruled Maui County can’t implement the law until he considers arguments in the lawsuit against it. The companies and the county agreed to delay the date the law goes into effect.

According to the documents filed by the law’s supporters, a state court in Maui is in the best position to determine the validity of the ordinance based on protecting Hawaii’s environment.