Farm Animal Welfare Bill Passes Kentucky Senate Committee

The Louisville Courier-Journal online is reporting that today a Senate committee in the Kentucky State Legislature “approved a bill that would create a commission to set rules for how animals are treated on farms.

If this sounds familiar that is because Ohio voters passed Issue 2 last fall, which creates a Livestock Care Standards Board that would set the standards for how livestock treatment and how livestock is held in confinement in the state. When Issue 2 was on the ballot the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation made no qualms about structuring the measure so it could become a blueprint for other states trying to pre-empt animal-rights groups from changing state livestock laws via ballot initiatives. ‘"We've tried to model this in a way that other states can look at it,’ said Jack Fisher, executive vice president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. ‘This involves farmers, ranchers, everyone in the food chain."’

As the Courier-Journal is reporting, this bill too is aimed at “pre-empting efforts by animal-rights groups to pass treatment standards . . . An overflow crowd with a large contingent from Kentucky Farm Bureau saw Senate Bill 105, sponsored by Senate Agriculture Committee chairman David Givens, R-Greensburg, approved and sent to the full Senate. Givens said he hopes the bill will be considered next week.”

Like in Ohio, this measure creates a standards board. The board will consist of fourteen individuals chaired by the state agriculture commissioner. “The state veterinarian would be a non-voting member.” The bill’s sponsor stated, ‘“The goal is that the conversation be driven by scientific standards and practical animal care standards and the conversation not be driven by emotion [.]”’

According to Commissioner Richie Farmer, “the bill is intended to block efforts seen in other states by groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Humane Society of the United States to restrict farming in the name of animal welfare.”

Farmer raised the point that it doesn’t make sense for farmers to harm their product before they sell it. ‘“It simply doesn’t make sense that farmers are going to mistreat their animals because that’s how they make a living,’ [Farmer] said.”

The Courier-Journal reports that the Kentucky bill will prevent local governments from attempting to pass tougher standards than are set by the state board. The legislation does not preclude “the authority of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and the Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners.” Some hope an additional provision will be added to protect the state environmental regulators’ authority.

Kentucky follows Ohio. The question remains, will other states follow suit?

To read the Courier-Journal article click here.

Posted: 02/04/10