Bay Area Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan is proposing a ban on seeds treated with the neonicotinoid class of pesticides. Her new bill is the second attempt recently to prohibit the seeds.
Several national environmental groups petitioned the Department of Pesticide Regulation in September to regulate the treated seeds. The department rejected the petition but said it would look into the issue.
Bauer-Kahan last year proposed to increase fines for spray drift violations by fivefold. That measure lost momentum as the pandemic stalled the Legislature.
