Ohio Issue 2

[causticus]

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I have been hearing a lot of mixed things about Ohio Issue 2. My understanding is that it is the large industrial farms (and their lobbyist's) attempt to avoid something like a California Prop 2 - so they are pre-emtively proposing this standards board....that they themselves would set up. Isn't this kind of like putting the fox in charge of the hen house? 😕

I'm a lab rat, so most of my information has come from what I've read, or heard on NPR. I was wondering if anyone else had any thoughts/perspectives on the matter, especially those with more of an ear to what the farming community has to say about it.

 

[david594]

Its more than just the "large industrial farms" that support proposition 2.

To the best of my knowledge the proposal is to make a board who would be in charge of establishing animal care standards. The people on the board would be people who are actively involved in different aspects of livestock care within the state. The idea being having people who are actually knowledgeable about the issues to be the ones making the decisions as opposed to just the general public who are largely generations removed from anything related to farming and livestock issues. When people disconnected from the issues vote you end up with things like the horse slaughter ban.

Here is a fact sheet with some info on the issue: http://agvanwert.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/issue2factsheet.pdf

 

[THEOSU2012]

Hi There,

So in our first year we had a professor come and tell us that the head of HSUS came to meet with the OVMA people after Prop 2 was passed in California. We were told that Prop 2's next stop would be here in Ohio. As a result, I think they came up with this pre-emptive issue 2.

Personally I think its a great idea and its about time.

The board that would be formed would have a number of different people on it. I copied and pasted from David594's link on a specific part below:

"The director of the department of agriculture, who would serve as chair of the Board;
Ten members appointed by the Governor with Senate approval, which must include: one family farm representative, one member knowledgeable about food safety in Ohio; two members representing statewide farmer organizations; one veterinarian licensed in Ohio; the State Veterinarian; the dean of an Ohio college or university’s agriculture department; two members of the public representing Ohio consumers; one member representing a county humane society
One family farmer appointed by the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives.
One family farmer appointed by the President of the Ohio Senate."

In my opinion this creates a really diversified board so that you can get educated opinions on animal welfare. Unfortunately as we have seen with Prop 2, when the public is allowed to decide the welfare of animals, they are unaware of the consequences that they cause, i.e. Horse Slaughter act, etc...

There are a lot of other states that are taking notice and if this passes hopefully other states will adopt further measures. Hopefully this will give the farm community and veterinary medicine the ability to self-regulate. As you'll hear in school, if we don't regulate ourselves, then we will be regulated by the government and this will impair our abilities to treat animals effectively.

Although NPR is great, I listen to it sometimes, they often are truly not educated as to what really happens in animal agriculture. They get their information from PETA and HSUS, not because they want to, but because veterinarians and the farm community have done a poor job on placing educational resources out for people to look at. That's not anyone's fault but our own, and I hope with this bill we can start to turn that around.

 

[sumstorm]

Although NPR is great, I listen to it sometimes, they often are truly not educated as to what really happens in animal agriculture. They get their information from PETA and HSUS, not because they want to, but because veterinarians and the farm community have done a poor job on placing educational resources out for people to look at. That's not anyone's fault but our own, and I hope with this bill we can start to turn that around.

Maybe that is because we (the vet professionals) are inside the vet conference learning about how to improve the care and treatment of animals instead of laying on the sidewalk outside painted like fish naked from the waist up holding signs all day? It maybe our fault, but so far everyone I know of in PETA (not the donation provider who may be clueless, but the activists) isn't in school 9 hours a day, studying 2-4 hours each night, immersed in wetlabs and rounds over the weekend, and putting together applications for internships, externships, work, etc. I just don't know many vets who have the time to dedicate to hours of free interviews and information sessions in their communities and still practice medicine.

I love NPR....but you really have to listen throughout an entire week at a time to get full coverage of most topics. they may talk to HSUS monday at 11am, then the dean of a school 3 days later, then on Saturdya at 9am talk to a vet, etc.

 

[THEOSU2012]

Sumstorm,

I agree completely. I was at the AVMA conference and actually walked by those people. It was disgusting. I spent three days for over 8 hours a day in meetings, for the future of veterinary students.

You really do have to listen to NPR almost 24/7 and lets be honest, I don't have time for that. Heck I should be studying cardio now.

Anyway, have a good day!

 

[alliecat44]

So is there any other industry in Ohio that controls its own legislation? That allows a bypass of the State's legislature when it deals with their own interests?

Any idea how many votes this board needs in order to pass a bit of legislation/guidelines? Simple majority/two-thirds/has to have a quorum/unanimous? What if people abstain?

Something about this doesn't quite sit right with me.