Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics a coalition of agricultural organizations is calling on Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to veto a bill banning the use of the herbicide Glyphosate on state property. The groups, led by the New York Farm Bureau, argue the herbicide is being used as a common way to kill weeds, grasses and forest underbrush when growing fruit, vegetables, corn and soybeans. The ban would complicate matters for the farms that lease land from the state to grow their crops. They also argue colleges that operate farms on state-owned properties should also have access to the herbicide. The bill to ban the use of Glyphosate on state lands was approved last month by the Legislature and its sponsors point to the herbicide being considered "a probable human carcinogen" in pushing for its ban. But the agriculture groups in their letter to Cuomo pointed to the federal Environmental Protection Agency finding "no risks" with the herbicide when used properly, noting that most states have accepted the agency's review. The groups wrote, it "...has proven itself as an environmentally-friendlier weed control agent than some of the alternative products that Glyphosate replaced." The herbicide has been in use for more than 40 years. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.