Calif. and Mass. Voters to Weigh Measures on Factory Farming, Greyhound Racing
When voters in California and Massachusetts go to the polls, they will cast their ballots on two measures that will make a world of difference for animals.
"There are enormous stakes in the elections, and that is also true for animals," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "Animal cruelty is not acceptable, and I am confident that voters will approve social reforms that will advance the cause of animal protection."
California – YES on Prop 2
In California, Proposition 2 ends the worst abuses of animals on industrial factory farms. If approved, Prop 2 will end the practice of cramming farm animals into tiny crates and cages where they are basically immobilized for their entire lives. The modest measure phases out confinement of egg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and veal calves in crates and cages so small the animals can't turn around, lie down or stretch their limbs.
Twenty million farm animals are currently confined in these extreme confinement systems in California that deny them the ability to move more than a few inches.
Breeding pigs are kept in gestation crates, unable to turn around for months on end; egg-laying hens are confined in battery cages, unable to spread their wings; and young calves are kept in crates so tiny that they spend their entire lives hardly able to move. The overcrowded conditions on factory farms have also been found to pollute the air, contaminate groundwater and threaten human health.
Prop 2 includes a phase-out period that gives factory farms until 2015 to modify their housing systems to allow animals to move. Just like us, animals are born to move. It is cruel and inhumane to deny them the ability to lie down, turn around and stretch their limbs.
Prop 2 has attracted support from a broad coalition of organizations and leaders, including the California Veterinary Medical Association, Family Farm Defenders, the Center for Food Safety, the Consumer Federation of America, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, the Planning and Conservation League, the California Council of Churches IMPACT, the United Farm Workers, the State Humane Association of California, the Cesar Chavez Foundation, Republican and Democratic elected officials, religious leaders and humane organizations.
For more information on Prop 2, go to YESonProp2.com.
Massachusetts – YES on Question 3
Voters in Massachusetts can stand up for dogs by voting "Yes" on a question to end greyhound racing. Thousands of dogs compete every year at commercial dog tracks in the Bay State.
At these tracks, greyhounds endure lives of terrible confinement, kept in small cages barely large enough to stand up or turn around for 20 or more hours per day. Also, greyhounds suffer serious injuries in high-speed collisions on the track, including broken legs, head trauma and heart attacks. Since 2002, there have been 841 reported injuries at the two Massachusetts tracks, and 80 percent of those injuries were broken legs.
Question 3 will hasten the demise of an already declining industry by phasing out greyhound racing by 2010. In recent years, the total amount gambled at the only two greyhound race tracks in Massachusetts declined by 65 percent and 37 percent.
This humane law is supported by dozens of community leaders, including The HSUS, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, GREY2K USA, the Massachusetts Council of Churches, every major animal shelter in Massachusetts, dozens of lawmakers and nearly 70 Massachusetts veterinarians.
For more information on Question 3, go to www.protectdogs.org.
Other Ballot Measures
In addition to the California and Massachusetts anti-cruelty initiatives, The HSUS is urging voters to take sides on other ballot measures that will impact animal welfare and voters' rights to set policies in their states:
ARIZONA – NO on Prop 105: If this undemocratic measure is approved, future ballot initiatives would need more than just a majority of votes cast, but a majority of all registered voters—regardless of whether people show up to the polls or not. People who choose not to vote or simply don't make it to the polls would be considered automatic "No" votes. This is a de facto ban on the ballot initiative process, and a virtually impossible standard for any initiative campaign. More information at www.thevotersofaz.com.
ARIZONA (SOUTH TUCSON) – YES on Prop 401: This measure would provide better animal welfare and public health standards at local greyhound racing tracks, such as prohibiting the continuous confinement of dogs, feeding of diseased and low-grade meat and the use of anabolic steroids in dogs.
OKLAHOMA – NO on State Question 742: This powergrab by special interest groups would prohibit any future ballot measure related to wildlife issues by doubling the signature requirement for citizens who wish to bring a state question to the voters of Oklahoma. It would also designate hunting, fishing and trapping as the preferred means of managing certain wildlife, potentially derailing useful and groundbreaking management tools before they even get place on the table.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.
