?We had hours and hours and hours of testimony, really heart-felt, passionate testimony,? said Maui Councilmember Elle Cochran, who spent the past year fighting for legislation to get genetically modified foods labeled.

?I think everyone should have an option and know what we are consuming,? she said.

But that may be getting tougher to do.

In 2008, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported: "Unauthorized releases of GE crops into food, animal feed, or the environment beyond farm fields have occurred, and will likely occur again."

This year, every county agreed on a labeling provision except for Oahu.

?This is not about GMOs being good or bad,? said Sen. Mike Gabbard during a pro-GMO labeling rally in 2008, where he held a 4,000-signature petition.

Despite passionate protests this year, bills to label whole foods failed again.

?I would hope we could get to a point and have a discussion about this and do the right thing,? said Gabbard.

House Agriculture Committee Chair Clift Tsuji has gotten heat from protesters for years.

?It's a very contentious issue,? he said.