A prescription for pesticides? Why lawmakers considered a novel approach to neonics

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For a lot of farmers in Colorado, and across the country, insecticides known as neonicotinoids, or neonics, have been a game changer. But what’s been a breakthrough for some has been a nightmare for others. Neonics are being blamed for die-offs in domestic bees and native pollinators, and there’s growing concern over their potential impacts on human health as well. This year, some Democratic lawmakers proposed a bold step to reduce the chemicals’ use in Colorado; they wanted farmers to get something like a prescription to be allowed to use neonic-treated seeds. CPR’s Bente Birkeland and Rae Solomon discuss what those lawmakers tried to do, and why they faced such fierce opposition from the…