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In an unofficial landslide, Ohio voters approved constitutional amendments that authorize creation of a livestock care standards board and bonuses to veterans of the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
With 93 percent of precincts reporting statewide Tuesday, Nov. 3, Issue 2 (the livestock care commission amendment) was passing 64 percent to 36 percent. Issue 1 (veterans compensation) was passing 72 percent to 28 percent.
The Issue 2 vote shows Ohioans feel a state livestock care standards board is the right way to make decisions about farm animal care, supporters said.
Farmers mobilized strongly for the most serious issue facing agriculture since a pesticide labeling issue arose in the 1990s, said Jack Fisher, executive vice president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, which supported Issue 2.
“We are committed to make this work,” Fisher said. He hopes the board is seated by spring 2010.
Spending by Issue 2 supporters far outstripped that by opponents. As of Oct. 22, the “Yes for Issue 2” campaign had spent $2.81 million of $3.61 million raised so far. Food & Water Watch, part of an opposition group called Ohio Against Constitution Takeover, reported spending about $6,300 through Oct. 22 to defeat Issue 2.
That made the outcome a virtual certainty, said Joe Logan of the Ohio Environmental Council, which opposed Issue 2.
“We’re going to work as hard as we can to try to create some measure of balance on this board,” Logan said. “I’m not sure if that’s doable. I think it’s a foregone conclusion that this board will be in favor of what agribusiness wants.”
Opponents have called the amendment a “power grab” by the state’s agribusiness interests that doesn’t belong in the state constitution.
Backers of the amendment have said it’s a more comprehensive approach to animal care than ballot initiatives put before voters in other states by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that address livestock care in a piecemeal fashion.
HSUS said in a prepared statement that Issue 2 was an attempt to block real reform and strongly hinted that it will pursue its own constitutional amendment to phase out certain animal housing practices.
With approval of Issue 1, the Ohio Department of Veterans Services estimated payments to eligible veterans should start going out in about a year.
Copyright © Thu Mar 18 19:59:44 EDT 2010 The Western Star, Lebanon, Ohio, USA.All rights reserved.
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staggering 98 poultry and egg-laying operations with more than 100,000 birds each, including 9 with more than a million birds.
from Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, “Map of permitted livestock facilities in Ohio,” prepared June 13, 2008
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