Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Farmers Supporting Issue 2 in Ohio

Farmers gather to support Issue 2
By Richard Wilson, Staff Writer
10:40 PM Monday, September 21, 2009

HAMILTON — A campaign is under way to pass an issue that proponents say will circumvent a national effort by the Humane Society of the United States to ban certain farming practices.

About 80 local farmers gathered Monday night, Sept. 21 at the OSU agriculture extension office on Princeton Road to get information and campaign materials on Issue 2 — a ballot initiative that seeks to amend the Ohio constitution and create a state livestock care standards board.

The discussion centered around what has happened in other states, where the humane society has used gory images of mistreated farm animals to sway voters in passing bans on restrictive cages for cows, pigs and poultry.

Issue 2, if passed, will reinsure consumer confidence in the local food supply and is a proactive effort to retain Ohio control over Ohio farming practices, Adam Sharp, of the Ohio Farm Bureau, told the assembly. Read More

Issue 2 in Ohio continues to be a much discussed topic. It’s also quite encouraging to see that many of Ohio’s farmers and ranchers have realized the importance of them being involved in the process to get this passed. If Ohio residents are truly concerned about the welfare of livestock, they will support this Issue so that a care board of experts is able to monitor animal agriculture in that state rather than having a Washington, DC based lobbying group defining it.

3 comments:

Eddy Sanders said...

Keep getting the word out. The last thing any farmer or rancher needs is more regulations from Washington or the HSUS.

Anonymous said...

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

Anonymous said...

i agree, vote no!

ohioACT.org

get some insights into why you should rethink voting YES