Ohio Issue 2 – Livestock Care Standards Board

In considering how to vote on Issue 2 (on creating a Livestock Care Standards Board for Ohio) I initially felt that a constitutional amendment was inappropriate for an issue that should be dealt with by the Ohio Legislature and the U.S. and Ohio Departments of Agriculture. According to an article in the  Columbus Dispatch:

“The board would have far-reaching powers to set standards for livestock and poultry care, food safety, supply and availability, disease prevention, farm management, and animal well-being. It would have minimal legislative oversight.”
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That’s too much power for a single entity and it would circumvent the democratic public comment process we are used to in regulation of this type.

Regardless of how you feel about specific standards for raising livestock. There are some good reasons why supporters of sustainable agriculture and transparent,  accountable government should vote against Issue 2.

Upon reading the position of OEFFA (Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association) I was glad to see they had a similar reason for opposing it. Here is OEFFA’s statement:

Vote No on Issue 2!
OEFFA affirms the importance of livestock in sustainable agricultural production systems and in providing prosperity for Ohio’s farm families. OEFFA equally affirms the ethical imperative and economic rationality of the humane treatment of farm animals. As an accredited
organic certifier under the U.S.D.A., OEFFA Certification is responsible for the enforcement of standards for the humane treatment of livestock and poultry, as detailed in the National Organic Standards.

OEFFA does not support Issue 2, which will, by constitutional amendment, create a Livestock Care Standards Board for Ohio. We urge our members and voters to vote “No” on Issue 2.

Our opposition is based on the following points:

* The Ohio Constitution should not be used to create a Livestock Care Standards Board. This is not the role of the state Constitution, which exists to establish the structure and rules of our government. Agricultural operations are already subject to the jurisdiction of State
and Federal Departments of Agriculture.

* The proposed constitutional amendment would give the Livestock Board the ability to make wide-ranging decisions related to farms and food in Ohio that have the force of law. Any future changes to the Livestock Board would require a new constitutional amendment.
We instead encourage a process that promotes citizen input, transparent debate, flexibility, and accountability.

* The amendment serves the economic interests of factory farms,1 opening the door for the proliferation of these Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations in Ohio. We oppose such facilities due to resulting air and water quality degradation from handling massive quantities
of manure. These operations encourage the routine use of antibiotics in livestock, which threatens the preservation of antibiotics for human use.

* The amendment emphasizes the need of the livestock industry to provide “affordable food,” yet ignores its hidden costs, including environmental contamination, human health impacts, and the loss of rural communities. Given that today’s farmers receive only about 20 cents
from each dollar spent on meat or poultry, our efforts are better spent controlling costs after the product leaves the farm, thereby benefiting both farmers and consumers.

For all these reasons, OEFFA opposes Issue 2. We applaud our members and others who produce livestock and do so using practices that allow them to safeguard the health of their animals, the environment, and Ohio’s citizens.

For more information about Issue 2, go to http://www.ohioact.org

Know How and Where to Vote
Here’s some helpful information from the Ohio Secretary of State that will help you navigate the voting process:Registering to Vote
In order to be eligible to vote on November 3, you must register to vote no later than October 5. A completed voter registration form must be postmarked or submitted in person to your Board of Elections, the Secretary of State’s office, any public high school, or any public library by October 5. A voter registration form is available at http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/publications/election/VRform.pdf.

Ways You Can Vote
Voting on Election Day—As always, you can vote in person on election day with a valid form of identification. To find your polling place, go to http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/pollinglocation.aspx?page=361

Early Voting—You can vote in person with a valid form of identification from September 29-November 2 at your local County Board of Elections. To find your County Board of Elections, go to http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/elections/boeDirectory.aspx

Absentee Voting—You can vote by mail through October 31. To request an absentee ballot, to go http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/elections/forms/11-A.pdf

For more information about voting, contact the Ohio Secretary of State’s office at (877) 889-6446 or visit their website at http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/