Chemical company Bayer has paid out billions of dollars in cancer-related lawsuits over its Roundup weed killer. A legislative effort could help the company to avoid similar claims in the future.

The Missouri House of Representatives has passed proposed protections that would let the existing federal warning label requirement about cancer be considered adequate.

Rep. Dane Diehl, R-Butler, is the bill sponsor.

“We want to continue to maintain feeding those around us, around the world, and we truly believe that there’s not a better process out there to make sure that these products are highly analyzed, looked at, and that they can continue to develop and market those to us,” said Diehl.

Rep. Adrian Plank, D-Columbia, opposes the bill.

“Shame on you. Shame on you,” Plank said as he choked up. “I’ve got lots of people who’ve died in my district over the years because of pesticides, and I just refuse to be an accessory to foreign entities in murdering of Americans with no accountability. We’re going to give Germans and the Chinese a free pass and that’s a shame.”

Rep. LaDonna Appelbaum, D-St. Louis, said she is a “hell no” on the bill.

“We’re supposed to protect people. We’re supposed to help people,” she said. “Profits over people is one of the reasons I came here to fight. And basically, what this bill does is give corporations all the money that they want.”

Rep. Raychel Proudie, D-Ferguson, said citizens should be able to use the democratic, legislative, and legal processes available to them.

“When someone hurts you, you should certainly be able to seek justice,” said Proudie. “Justice is something that we should be entitled to. Reducing that here is kind of breathtaking.”

Diehl is a fifth-generation family farmer and rancher in western Missouri.

“It puts a process that we know and trust, we believe is the best in the United States. When alternative studies start going against that process and put products in jeopardy that are available to our farmers, where we have a problem, the state of Missouri needs to take a stand,” said Diehl.

House Bill 544 is on its way to the Missouri Senate, where lawmakers there could make tweaks to it.

Roundup herbicide was originally produced by Monsanto, a Missouri based company that was bought out by Bayer in 2018.