Oppose Animal Abuse? Then Vote NO on Ohio’s Issue 2 this November
October 5th, 2009 By Paul Shapiro
Last year, the term “Prop 2” was virtually synonymous with a step forward for animal welfare. Opponents of factory farming won a major victory in California with Proposition 2’s passage, in which voters overwhelmingly banned battery cages, gestation crates, and veal crates (with a phase-out).
This November however, the ballot number 2 has a much different meaning.
Two thousand miles away from the Golden State, Issue 2 will be on Ohio’s the statewide ballot November 3rd. In short, it would amend the state constitution by creating a council that would have the authority to adopt regulations for the treatment of farm animals in the state. Sounds pretty good, right?
Unfortunately, while designed to give the appearance of helping farm animals, Issue 2 is little more than a power grab by Ohio’s agribusiness lobby. The industry-dominated “animal care” council that Issue 2 proposes is really intended to thwart meaningful improvements in how Ohio factory farms treat tens of millions of farm animals.
The Ohio Farm Bureau is explicit that its goal with Issue 2 is to try to prevent potential statutory ballot measures like California’s Prop 2 that would require modest farm animal welfare improvements. By placing authority in this constitutional council, it would make it more difficult—although certainly not impossible—for reforms to be implemented similar to those already adopted by Arizona, California, Florida, Maine, Colorado, and Oregon. And Michigan seems poised to add its name to this list any day now.
Issue 2 is designed to favor large factory farms that will continue to use cruel and inhumane confinement methods, and that’s why the measure is opposed by Ohio’s family farmers, environmentalists, and animal advocates. The broad coalition of organizations opposing Issue 2 includes the Ohio Farmer’s Union, the Ohio Environmental Stewardship Alliance, the Ohio Sierra Club, the Ohio League of Women Voters, Ohio’s Capital Area Humane Society, and The Humane Society of the United States. It’s also opposed been criticized by the editorial boards of Ohio’s major newspapers—including the Columbus Dispatch, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Akron Beacon Journal, and Dayton Daily News.
In the end, whether or not Issue 2 passes, the extreme confinement of millions of Ohio’s veal calves, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens will remain unaddressed, and it will take hard work well beyond this November’s election to improve their plight.
In the mean time, it’s up to Ohio voters to prevent Big Ag’s favored “oversight” system from being enshrined in the state’s constitution.
by Josh
On October 5, 2009 at 8:54 am
Say ‘no’ to animal abuse. Vote ‘no’ on Ohio’s Issue 2.
Big agribusiness is responsible for confining farm animals in cages so small they can’t even turn around, for polluting our air and water, and for posing a food safety threat because of its unsanitary factory farming methods. To allow them the power to oversee their own actions is a recipe for disaster. If you’re in Ohio, vote ‘no’ on Issue 2.
by Matt Dresden
On October 5, 2009 at 8:57 am
I agree: NO on Issue 2! We can’t trust an industry that makes uts money from confining and slaughtering animals to determine the best way to care for those animals — its counter-intuitive. We see where leaving it up to them has gotten us (CAFOs that pollute, animals crammed in cages, overuse of antibiotics, etc.). Its time for a change and Issue 2 will just prevent that change.
by Sarah
On October 5, 2009 at 10:51 am
This attempt at a power grab by the Ohio farm bureau is shameful — and detrimental! Farmers should embrace positive steps in protecting the environment, animals, and people’s health. But instead, big ag focuses on one thing and one thing only: profit.
I agree: VOTE NO ON ISSUE TWO
by Elizabeth
On October 5, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Thanks for the post on this important issue. It’s great to see how many Ohio farming and environmental organizations are saying NO to Issue 2 in November. Factory farms are terrible for animals as well as surrounding communities. People in Ohio who want to protect animals and support local farmers should vote NO on Issue 2.
by Elizabeth
On October 5, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Factory farming is horrific, and it’s wonderful that Ohio voters have the chance to stop Big Ag from impeding modest, common sense reforms like those that have already been enacted in other states. NO on 2!
by on voting and baking « melly eats
On October 5, 2009 at 9:25 pm
[...] voting and baking Jump to Comments Registered Ohio voter? Vote NO on Issue 2 in November. Here’s why: The Ohio Farm Bureau is explicit that its goal with Issue 2 is to try to prevent potential [...]
by Beth
On October 7, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Follow the recommendations, folks–the good guys oppose 2.
by Jim Ohio
On October 9, 2009 at 1:28 pm
I live in Ohio. I am opposed to issue 2 not because of any other reason than we do not need any more government agencies. Further, we don’t need any more people looking over into our state trying to tell us how to run our farm. Large farm or small hobby farm, mind your own business. If you want to protect some innocent creatures life, then why not look at abortion where we kill how many babies? Who looks after their rights? Issue 2 – pass or fail, Ohio thanks you to stay out of our lives.
by Thomas
On October 15, 2009 at 11:45 pm
As a Farm Bureau member I worked on our local committee to find ways to fight and defeat HSUS and PETA at their own game.
My problem with this constitutional amendment is the excessive power it places in the hands of a 13 member group of non-elected bureaucrats.
This issue should not have been a constitutional amendment. The same objective to thwart PETA and HSUS could have been accomplished by including the key words “agricultural best management practices for such care and well-being” in section 900 of the Ohio Revised Code.
The big question for me is, “What did it take to twist the arms of all the members of both the House and Senate to make them take such a draconian measure?” If we change the Constitution every time the wind blows from the wrong direction, what value remains in it? What next? Change the US Constitution to remove free speech and religious freedom?
VOTE NO on ISSUE 2