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KRYSTLE MARCELLUS / KMARCELLUS@STARADVERTISER.COM
Mayor Billy Kenoi and Darryl Oliveira, Hawaii County Acting Civil Defense Administrator, discuss preparation plans for Tropical Storm Flossie at the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency.
HILO >> Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi says he will decide next week whether to veto a bill restricting genetically modified crops.
The Hawaii County Council voted 6-3 on Tuesday to approve a bill restricting the planting of genetically modified crops to enclosed structures such as greenhouses,
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports Kenoi will have 10 days to consider a veto after he receives the bill. Overriding a veto would take six votes.
Kenoi says he and his staff will discuss whether the bill meets legal standards and will try to gather as much information as possible on the issue.
Critics say the measure will give growers elsewhere a competitive advantage.
Papaya farmers and others who already grow genetically modified crops would be exempted from the new ban.
