On Nov. 3, Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment, known as Issue 2, with 63 percent voting in favor. Issue 2 creates a 13-member panel to define animal care standards for Ohio’s livestock sector. The board would include the Ohio Department of Agriculture director, two farmers appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, and 10 members appointed by the governor.

The vote demonstrates that Ohioans are concerned about proper animal husbandry and humane treatment of livestock. However, the amendment moves establishment of such standards into an appointed body that is largely unaccountable to the electorate. That’s where Ohio Farm Bureau and a coalition of commodity organizations want that authority, in a small, unelected governmental body that is more easily influenced than the Ohio General Assembly.

We agree with Ohio Farmers Union President Roger Wise; the amendment overreaches. Moreover, Issue 2 was closely watched by industrial livestock interests, with an eye towards duplication elsewhere.

Practicing real democracy may well be messier and more difficult than raising livestock as conscientiously as most Ohio farmers do. But it’s better than bartering our liberty or our responsibilities to each other for the convenience of a few industrial livestock operations.

Oklahoma’s lawsuit against Tyson and 10 poultry integrators continued to lurch through federal court throughout October. Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson brought suit against the poultry integrators for runoff of poultry waste spread on cropland – as much as 345,000 tons annually – that according to the state of Oklahoma “polluted the Illinois River with harmful bacteria that threatens the health of tens of thousands of people each year.”

In September, Edmondson revealed to the Associated Press his view of the state’s advantage in the case. “We’re right,” he said. “That’s always an advantage in litigation.”

The Oklahoma case has been mired in numerous delays, often from objections by the 30 attorneys involved. Other states concerned about poultry and livestock waste management practices are watching closely. “This case is more than a war of words. It is about the future of a 1 million-acre watershed,” concluded Edmondson.

Contact: John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org or 402.687.2103 x 1010 for more information.