Calif. Voters Approve Prop 2 on Farm Animal Cruelty
Mass. Passes Question 3 on Greyhound Racing
Voters in California approved an historic ballot measure to halt the inhumane confinement of animals on factory farms, and voters in Massachusetts approved a measure to ban greyhound racing – both by overwhelming margins.
STATEMENTS FROM WAYNE PACELLE, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES
Calif. Prop 2: "California voters have taken a stand for decency and compassion and said that the systemic mistreatment of animals on factory farms cannot continue. All animals deserve humane treatment, including animals raised for food."
Mass. Ques 3: "Greyhound racing is an archaic practice, and we can find other ways to enjoy spectator sports without harming dogs."
National: "Whether dogs or farm animals, voters have emphatically said that cruelty is wrong and it must be addressed in the law."
California – Proposition 2 (62%-38% as of 11 p.m. Pacific time)
Proposition 2 ends the practice of confining certain animals raised for food in crates and cages so small the animals can barely move. Prop 2 requires that factory farms provide enough space for animals to stand up, turn around and extend their limbs. It applies to breeding pigs, egg laying hens and veal calves. Prop 2 goes into effect in January of 2015, giving factory farms six years to shift to different housing systems.
The Yes! on Prop 2 campaign received donations from 25,000 individual contributors across the country. Thousands of volunteers worked to collect signatures, distribute campaign literature, and rallied to get out the vote for Prop 2.
Prop 2 attracted support from a broad coalition of organizations and leaders, including the California Veterinary Medical Association, United Farm Workers, State Humane Association of California, the Center for Food Safety, and the Consumer Federation of America, to name a few.
The opponents of Proposition 2 – agribusiness companies from throughout the nation – spent $9 million to try to defeat the ballot initiative.
Massachusetts – Question 3 (56% - 44%)
Voters in Massachusetts have approved Question 3 to ban greyhound racing in 2010. 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 hastens the demise of an already declining industry. Question 3's backers include 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.
Other Ballot Measures of Interest
ARIZONA – Prop 105: Preliminary results suggest that voters will reject this measure which would have required that future ballot initiatives 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 have been considered automatic "No" votes. Prop 105 could be a de facto ban on the ballot initiative process and create a virtually impossible standard for any initiative campaign.
OKLAHOMA – State Question 742: It is disappointing to see voters in Oklahoma support this power grab by special interest groups that could prohibit future ballot measures related to wildlife issues by doubling the signature requirement for citizens who wish to bring a state question to the voters of Oklahoma. It also designates hunting, fishing and trapping as the preferred means of managing certain wildlife, potentially derailing useful and groundbreaking management tools before they even get a place at 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 humanesociety.org.
