pstrongDid you know that dogs can internalize lawn chemicals from exposure to their treated lawn, exposure to their untreated but contaminated lawn and from other treated areas such as parks?/strong/ppFriends of Animals and Pesticide Free New Canaan, located right in its backyard, are asking for your help in getting bills passed to reduce pesticide use in Connecticut and ban GMO grass./ppThe purpose of nbsp;H.B. No. 5330 is to protect children#39;s health from exposure to toxic lawn pesticides by applying the same restrictions concerning the application of lawn pesticides at school grounds to the application of pesticides at parks, playgrounds, athletic fields and municipal greens.nbsp;/ppimg alt=”” src=”/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Ladybug.jpg” style=”width: 300px; height: 200px; margin: 8px; float: right;” //ppS.B. No. 443 will extend the ban on the use of lawn care pesticides in elementary and grade schools to include high schools in 2017. This bill also contains an amendment that would ban genetically modified ldquo;Roundup Readyrdquo; grass seed./ppThe concern is that agricultural companies are developing grass seeds to be ldquo;Roundup Ready,rdquo; which means they will be genetically designed to withstand more application of the popular weed-killing herbicide, which contains the chemical glyphosate. And if glyphosate resistant grass becomes prevalent, GMO Free Connecticut founder Tara Cook-Littman believes people will dramatically increase their usage of the product, which will have negative impact on the environment as well as the health of human and non-human animals.nbsp;/ppldquo;Children are most vulnerable to chemical pesticide exposure,rdquo; said Micaela Porter, co-founder of Pesticide Free New Canaan, adding that research shows they are six times more likely to get leukemia, and four times more likely to get asthma, in addition to increasing chances of neurological/endocrine disturbance and disease, learning disabilities and allergies.nbsp;/ppBoth bills have been referred to the Committee on the Environment./ppWe are asking Connecticut supporters to contact the following legislators and urge them to pass nbsp;H.B. No. 5330 and S.B. No. 443:nbsp;/ppRep. Terry Gerratana, co-chair, Committee on Public Health. 860. 240.0584. Email:a href=”mailto:Gerratana@senatedems.ct.gov”Gerratana@senatedems.ct.gov/a/ppSen. Susan Johnson, co-chair, Committee on Public Health. 860.240.8585. Email:a href=”mailto:Susan.Johnson@cga.ct.gov”Susan.Johnson@cga.ct.gov/a/ppnbsp;Sen. Ed Meyer, co-chair, Committee on Environment. 860.240.0455. Email:a href=”mailto:meyer@senatedems.ct.gov”meyer@senatedems.ct.gov/a/ppnbsp;Rep. Linda Gentile, co-chair, Committee on Environment. 860. 240.8585 Email:a href=”mailto:Linda.Gentile@cga.ct.gov”Linda.Gentile@cga.ct.gov/a/p