The Issues

Proposed Legislation and Public Policy

Ballot Initiatives

Farm Sanctuary works to enact ground breaking policy through ballot initiatives. Ballot initiatives allow for a direct vote by the people, after a number of signatures are gathered to place a question directly on the ballot. This is often where animal advocates can make the most change for farm animals! Please take action today. 

Pending for 2011:

Washington
Ballot and Title: Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act
Status:             Pending
Summary:        Farm Sanctuary, along with a coalition of animal welfare, food safety and environmental groups, is working to place a measure on Washington’s November ballot aimed at preventing some of the most egregious factory farming practices. Nearly six million egg-laying hens in Washington spend their entire lives crammed inside cages so small that each hen has less space than a sheet of paper and can barely move. This measure would require that egg-laying hens have enough room to turn around and extend their wings and that eggs sold within Washington are produced in compliance with such standards. Learn more.

2010:

Ohio
Ballot and Title: Minimum Standards to Prevent Inhumane Treatment of Farm Animals, Enhance Food Safety, and Strengthen Ohio Family Farms
Status:             Agreement reached
Summary:        This agreement includes the following reforms that outlaw and phase out cruel practices in Ohio, a state known to have some of the weakest anti-cruelty laws in the nation and no meaningful protections for farm animals:

• A ban on veal crates, to be phased out within six years.
  
  
• A ban on new gestation crates in the state after December 31, 2010. Existing facilities are grandfathered, but must cease use of these crates within 15 years.
  
  
• A permanent moratorium on permits for new battery cage facilities in place immediately.
  
  
• A ban on the transport of downed cows and calves for slaughter.
  
  
• A ban on strangulation and other forms of on farm killing that are not included in euthanasia standards as outlined by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
  
  
• Enactment of legislation establishing felony-level penalties for cock fighters. 

Learn more.

2009:

Ohio
Ballot and Title: Issue 2 – A Constitutional Amendment to Protect Cruel Factory Farms
Position:          Vote NO on Issue 2
Status:             Passed
Summary:        In the wake of a landslide victory for the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act in California last year, a voter approved measure to ban veal crates, gestation crates and battery cages, factory farm proponents in Ohio are determined to prevent such reforms in their own state. Agribusiness lobbyists were able to persuade their friends in the state legislature to put an anti-reform proposal – Issue 2 – on the ballot this November, a measure designed to protect factory farm interests through a constitutional amendment. This amendment created a state board to establish “standards governing the care and well-being of livestock and poultry” in Ohio. Unfortunately, this board will be dominated by proponents of cruel factory farm practices such as the intensive confinement of veal calves, breeding sows and egg-laying hens. A majority of voters were persuaded to vote in favor of Issue 2 by misleading ads that presented the measure as a positive step for animal welfare. In reality, it was little more than a thinly veiled attempt by Big Ag to seize more power and ensure that factory farms can continue to do business as usual, regardless of the cruelty they inflict. The good news is that real reform is coming to the Ohio ballot this year. Learn more.

2008:

Arizona
Ballot and Title: Proposition 105 - The "so-called" Majority Rules                           amendment
Position:            Vote No on Prop 105
Status:               Failed!       
Summary:          Just two years after Arizona animal advocates successfully secured the passage of a ballot initiative ensuring the humane treatment of calves and mother pigs on factory farms, special interests struck back with Prop 105, an initiative aimed at limiting the efficacy of citizen ballot initiatives on the 2008 ballot. Prop 105 would have assigned a "no" vote to every registered voter who did not vote in that election – making it extraordinarily hard for any initiative to ever pass. Thankfully voters in Arizona saw through this unfair measure and voted down prop 2 on November 4th! Find out more about NO on Prop 105.

California
Ballot and Title: Proposition 2 – The Prevention of Farm Animal                           Cruelty Act
Position:            Vote Yes on Prop 2!
Status:               Passed!       
Summary:          On November 4 Californians successfully enacted Proposition 2 to  end the practice of cramming farm animals into cages and crates so small the animals can't even turn around, lie down  or extend their limbs. Thank you California for advancing monumental campaign!

Farm Sanctuary has worked on a number of successful initiatives including those in Florida to ban gestation crates and Arizona to ban gestation and veal crates.