Legislators are speaking out about Monsanto’s involvement at SDSU. Bout Time!

Two of my favorite state reps, Kloucek and Hunhoff are turning up the heat on the appointment of Chicoine to Monsanto’s board;

“There’s a certain unease,” Hunhoff said. “We take great pride in trying to be different here in South Dakota. Now’s the time to talk about it, before it becomes engrained in our culture.”

Not only talk about it, but end this practice.

State Sen. Frank Kloucek, D-Scotland, has railed against it, saying it could create a conflict of interest if the company does business directly or indirectly with the university.

And Chicoine’s appointment is the perfect example of why it’s a bad idea, Kloucek said, because Monsanto has several projects on SDSU’s campus.

“It looks like they’re bribing them,” he said. Even if a university president vows to abstain from certain votes, they’re “still going to have every appearance of impropriety.”

Kloucek is drafting a bill for the upcoming legislative session and researching other states he says have regulations on public servants serving on boards for compensation.

They are bribing us. Agricultural universities should be able to do research and studies WITHOUT the influence of corporations. What’s stopping Monsanto from influencing positive results when their money is buying the beakers in the lab? Not a damn thing.

Hunhoff said any controversy about Monsanto as a company is not the point.

“It shouldn’t be an issue of one president or one company.”

I agree 100% with Bernie’s statement. If the law changes, it should affect all outside influence on state universities. If a private university wants to take Monsanto under their arm, good for them. But I don’t want my tax dollars intertwined with a corrupt corporation, whoever they are. A publicly funded university should remain that way.

Bravo to Frank and Bernie for making a stand, I hope they follow through.