According to Hannah Fingerhut and David A. Lieb of the Associated Press (AP), there is a renewed legislative push by Bayer, the maker of Roundup, that has reignited a national debate over corporate accountability, agricultural necessity, and consumer protection. AP reported that dozens of protesters gathered at the Iowa State Capitol earlier this week to oppose state legislation designed to shield pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits alleging their products cause cancer.
The legislation under consideration in Iowa and at least seven other states would prevent failure-to-warn lawsuits as long as a pesticide’s label complies with EPA guidelines. This change would dramatically limit the ability of plaintiffs, often individuals battling cancer or families who’ve lost loved ones, to hold manufacturers accountable through litigation.
Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup, has led to a growing number of legal claims asserting that exposure to the weedkiller has led to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers. Bayer maintains that Roundup is safe when used as directed and notes that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not classified it as carcinogenic.
Although similar bills failed during the 2024 legislative sessions in Iowa, Missouri, and Idaho, Bayer and a coalition of agricultural and political groups have expanded their efforts to support the legislation. The renewed campaign includes television ads (even one during the Super Bowl) and portable billboards. They argue that Roundup is a vital product for global agriculture and that the lawsuits could lead to the product going off the market.
According to AP, “This year, legislation providing legal protection against failure-to-warn claims already has passed the North Dakota House without any opposition. Similar bills have cleared initial committees in Iowa, Mississippi and Missouri and are pending in legislative committees in Florida, Oklahoma and Tennessee. A bill failed to get out of a Wyoming committee by a deadline.”
Opponents of the legislation—including farmers, cancer patients, medical professionals, and advocacy organizations—argue that these laws would prioritize corporate profits over human lives and justice.
To learn more about this issue, read Fingerhut and Lieb’s article for AP.
