Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said Friday he’s acted on a couple of proposed emergency rules he received through channels regarding the use of dicamba herbicide. In the first action, he’s sending a proposal on “Banning the Sale and Use of Dicamba” to the Legislative Council for review. If given the go-ahead, that measure would put a 120-day moratorium on any further use of dicamba over the top of row crops. The only dicamba herbicide currently allowed for use in Arkansas from April through September is BASF’s Engenia. There is an exemption written into the governor’s proposal for using the product on pastureland. Hutchinson expresses concern about banning the product during the growing season, but he also says the number of complaints justifies the action. Most recently, as of June 23rd there were 507 separate complaints about dicamba misuse filed in 12 Arkansas counties. The governor also instructed the state’s Plant Board and Ag Department to form a task force to review dicamba technology, to investigate the use of dicamba, and come up with a long-term strategy for Arkansas. Governor Hutchinson also announced he’s approving the endorsement of a proposal calling for stiffer penalties in cases of dicamba misuse.