Ohio State Issue 2 on November 3rd

By Published On: 22 October 2009Last Updated: 17 January 2017

Ohio State Issue 2 is on the ballot November 3rd. Let me tell you why Ohioans should vote NO on this issue.

What's in this post

Ohio State Issue 2 is on the ballot November 3rd.  Here’s why Ohioans should vote NO on this issue.

If this issue passes, it will amend the state constitution to create a Livestock Care Standards Board.  While this sounds good for farm animals and for people, I can assure you, it isn’t.  This board would mainly consist of representatives for corporate agribusiness.  The 13-member board would be comprised of “livestock experts” in animal care, food production, farm management and food safety. (1)  The corporate agribusiness lobbyists, the Ohio Farm Bureau and the Ohio Pork Producers Council, wholeheartedly support this issue.

This issue is nothing more than a power grab and a preemptive move by corporate agribusiness to stall any future legislation that would actually provide real care for farm animals, such as Prop 2 that passed in California last year.  Corporate farms in Ohio do not want the expense of having to eliminate battery cages for hens, gestation crates for pigs, and veal crates for calves. (2)

Issue 2 is not supported by the Ohio Farmers Union, an organization representing over 300,000 family farmers nationwide.  The proposed Livestock Care Standards Board represents corporate (factory) farms- not small family farmers.  Also opposing Issue 2 is the Ohio Sierra Club, the League of Women Voters, and the following newspapers: the Columbus Dispatch, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Akron Beacon Journal, and the Dayton Daily News. (3) The Cleveland City Council has passed a resolution urging residents to vote NO on Issue 2 on November 3rd.  Councilman Joe Cimperman says, “It takes power out of the Ohio Department of Agriculture and puts it in the hands of people who are appointed, and does it in a way that I think smacks of big business basically dictating what food policy should be.” (4)

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor said that State Issue 2 is an “inappropriate use” of a constitutional amendment.  “Policy needs to evolve as our society changes.” (5)

You just can’t easily overturn a constitutional amendment.

The passage of this issue will mean that the Livestock Care Standards Board’s decisions will trump any decisions made by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and override any laws proposed or passed by the Ohio State Legislature.  In other words, the passage of Issue 2 would grant corporate agribusiness unchecked power to implement or not implement any decisions regarding the treatment of farm animals.  The amendment would give the Board unbridled power to make sure that nothing interferes with the profits of factory farms, essentially, for eternity.

Ohioans, Vote NO on Issue 2 on November 3rd. And don’t forget to express your disapproval with the government representatives who support this ludicrous issue- including Governor of the State of Ohio, Ted Strickland.

Please take the time to check out the official Vote NO on Issue 2 site.

And don’t forget to read about Governor Ted Strickland’s support of Issue 2.

UPDATE:  PLEASE ALSO SEE “Let’s talk Issue 2 (part deux)”

References
(1) http://brownfieldagnews.com/2009/09/29/ohio-animal-care-campaign-underway/
(2) http://www.hsus.org/legislation_laws/ballot_initiatives/ohio_issue_2.html
(3) http://www.ohioact.org/
(4) http://www.wcpn.org/index.php/WCPN/news/28312
(5) http://www.thecourier.com/templates/print.asp?d=101609_story1,2009,Oct,16&c=n

8 Comments

  1. LEONORA November 4, 2009 at 2:37 pm - Reply

    Justin: you Are such an ignorant person, honestly, you dont know anything about compassion and about how much this factory farms are ruining the planet, and not to mention how much people has heart stroke, multiple sclerosis, hogh colesterol and cancer specially in the united states, all of this why? because people just likes to indulge on animals meat and eggs cuz they taste good and they are fooled by the industry saying they are good for you when they are clearly not.

    If you inform yourslef you will figure that out.

    People is eating way to much meat 5 times more than 30 years ago, so there you go, i dont think that being humane to animals would put that industry out of bussines common’ are you kidding me??? if something it will do good for the poor animals, t epeople and the planet to eat less meat, ignorance is what keeps people thinking they would not get nutrients from grains, beans and vegetables.

    And BEING inhumane to animals is a reflecting of th eproblems in our planet now a days because WE HUMANS JUST CARE ABOUT MONEY AND NOTHING ELSE , like racism , SPECISM is what makes us feel we are better than animals and we can abuse them as much as we want BUT IS IT WRONG, THIS ANIMASL HAS VE FEELINGS TOO, AND THEY CLEARLY SUFFER WHILE YOU THINK ABOUT EATING YOUR SATURED FAT HIGH CHOLESTEROL BACON AND SAUSAGE FOR BREAKFAST….it is just STUPID, HIPPIES?? hahaha You are clearly so unevolved as a person, i pray to god he enlighten your soul because you are clearly lost my dear!

  2. charlie October 28, 2009 at 1:26 am - Reply

    Justin,

    Thanks for demonstrating the ignorance of the supporters of Issue 2. You almost do our work for us.

  3. Justin October 27, 2009 at 9:12 pm - Reply

    You tree huggers have no idea what you are talking about.

    yes, the board would be a form of bigger gov’t, but, it is the lesser of two evils. If this proposal were to fail, which by the way, no chance in hell it will, the humane society of the united states will ban the use of battery and farrowing crates. which will put big production farms out of buisiness, and also small farms. i used to show swine in 4-H, i also have a 7 year old brother and 7 year old cousin who are just starting out. it tears my heart out knowing that if it fails, they will not be able to show anymore because a group of hippies decided its not rite to pen up animals. i dont think anyone wants to hit a cow with their car. thats what it comes down to.

    Fuck you, get a life ppl!!

  4. Thomas October 24, 2009 at 9:15 am - Reply

    Issue 2 is an expansion of State Government that creates unchecked power and new layers of unaccountable bureaucracy over our livestock farmers.

    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?

    The text of issue 2 shows just how rushed the process was and how little thought went into doing the job right. The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board is not even an imperfect solution. It is not a solution at all. The correct solution is to add the proper language into Ohio Revised Code, a process that would require both the House and Senate to debate and agree on language and the Governor to sign the bill into law.

    We are being told that this Board will protect farms from animal rights groups, but what will protect the farmers from the Board, a panel of bureaucrats without accountability?

    After reading the proposed resolution, we have several questions regarding Issue 2.

    Why did the Ohio Farmers Union decide to oppose issue 2 in their August meeting?

    Will we need a license or permit to own and raise livestock in this state?

    Will special training and classes be required to obtain the right to raise livestock?

    Will someone come to our farm to ensure that we follow the guidelines set forth by this Board, without search warrants or probable cause?

    Will we be criminals, and subject to fines/prison if we disagree with the standards set by the Board and fail to comply?

    Will these board members be paid? If so, who decides their salary?

    How will the actions of this board be funded: by taxpayers or farmers?

    How will Board decrees be enforced?

    How long will the terms of appointees be? Indefinite or limited?

    Why is this Board given “excusive authority to establish standards governing the care and well-being of livestock and poultry in this state” instead of the farmer?

    Why are the members of this Board appointed (10 by Governor) and not voted into their position by the farmers themselves?

    What appeal process will be available for those who wish to challenge the standards set by this Board? Will that appeal require a fee also?

    Why only three “family farmers”? Won’t they be outnumbered by the other 10 non-farmers?

    What effect will the approval of the Board have on organic and all natural farms?

    Why is Farm Bureau using fear to provoke the acceptance of this amendment?

    Will this Board view livestock as the private property of the farmers with Divine right to govern them as their own conscience directs? Or is livestock the property of the State?

    Will this Board establish rules regarding vaccines?

    Will we be required to keep updated farm records and submit them annually to this board?

    Will the Amish of Ohio be exempt from any rules that contradict their religious beliefs?

    Why would we want to establish a government entity to “protect us (farmers) from special interest groups” when the very way these groups achieve their goals is to lobby and control government entities?

    Doesn’t this proposed amendment contradict the original FFA Creed. paragraph three, which states:

    I believe in leadership from ourselves and respect from others. I believe in my own ability to work efficiently and think clearly, with such knowledge and skill as I can secure, and in the ability of organized farmers to serve our own and public interest in marketing the product of our toil. I believe we can safeguard those rights against practices and policies that are unfair.

    If we have sworn the oath of the Pledge Of Allegiance, which professes “Liberty and Justice for all,” since this amendment takes the liberty to raise livestock from an individual farmer and gives it to the direct control of the State, would we be committing hypocrisy according to our spoken oath?

    Are horses included under the authority of this Board? If not, shouldn’t they be protected from animal rights groups too and be subject to the standards decreed by this Board?

    Is forfeiture of liberty the only way to protect livestock farms in Ohio from animal rights groups? Are there other options available?

    In conclusion, we support the opposition to Issue 2 as expressed by the Ohio Farmers Union, The League of Women Voters, Ohio Food and Water Watch, The Ohio Environmental Stewardship Alliance, and all the major newspapers in Ohio.

  5. Allyson October 22, 2009 at 3:43 pm - Reply

    Thank you for voicing this so eloquently. I shared with my fellow Ohioan friends/family.

  6. uberVU - social comments October 22, 2009 at 2:52 pm - Reply

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

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  7. Topsy.com October 22, 2009 at 11:28 am - Reply

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HELLO! I'm KD Angle-Traegner.

Writer, activist, and founder of Four Urban Paws Sanctuary. I’m on a mission to help people live a vegan life. Read more about KD…

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