Now that the dust has settled, here are the results for several of the ballot initiatives impacting agriculture that we have previously discussed on this blog.

* Denton Becomes First Texas City to Ban Fracking.  Denton voters passed a controversial ban on fracking within the city limits.  Fifty-nine percent of votes cast were in favor of the measure.  The ban will nearly certainly result in litigation from mineral rights owners and the oil and gas industry.  [Read articles here and here.]

* Colorado Rejects Mandatory GMO Labeling.  Proposition 105, which would have required food to be labeled “Produced With Genetic Engineering” for food that was “genetically modified or treated with genetically modified material,” has failed.  Preliminary results show that 68% of voters cast ballots against the initiative. [Read article here.]

* Oregon GMO Law Fate Uncertain.  Measure 92 remains too close to call in Oregon.  On Wednesday morning, the count was approximately 51% against and 49% in favor of the initiative that would require labeling of GMO products, defined as “food produced from organisms with genetic material changed through in vitro…techniques.” [Read article here.]

* Maui Voters Ban GMO Crops.  Maui County voters passed a ballot initiative, by a 50% to 48% margin, that imposes a temporary ban on growing genetically modified crops until the county evaluates their impact on health and environment.  Opponents of the bill fear this will destroy the farming industry, costing Maui residents hundreds of jobs and harming the economy.  [Read article here.]