California Egg Law Blasted by Anti-Cruelty Advocates
Poorly written measure keeps chickens in cages despite public vote for "cage free."
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The president of the Humane Farming Association (HFA) has published an eye-opening editorial in today's Sacramento Bee blasting California's controversial law concerning egg industry cages.
"Proposition 2 is finally being recognized for what it is -- an empty vessel of false promises, wasted resources and squandered opportunity," said HFA President Bradley Miller.
More than six years ago, voters passed the ballot measure known as Proposition 2. Its primary sponsor, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), famously promised voters that it would ban all egg industry cages in California by January 1, 2015.
In reality, the state's egg industry is investing in new cages as well as simply modifying old ones. Miller writes that this "obscene reversal of voter intent" was made possible by the "determined negligence" of HSUS.
"HSUS was repeatedly warned that the unending use of cages would be the result of Proposition 2 unless its fatally flawed language was corrected. At the very least, it needed to specify exactly how much space would be required per hen," said Miller.
"The drafting errors in Proposition 2 were painfully obvious from the very beginning. But HSUS ignored all the warnings and marched ahead with a hopelessly vague and utterly unenforceable measure. Now, six years later, the chickens have come home to roost. And not surprisingly, they're being put in cages."
Some press reports have blurred the distinction between the voter enacted Proposition 2 and completely separate regulations put in place by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The department allows for hens to be confined to cages with only 116 square inches allotted per bird, roughly the size of a sheet of legal paper.
"That is exactly the kind of intensive confinement voters were told Proposition 2 would outlaw," said Miller.
Complicating matters further is that, in the years since Proposition 2's passage, the Humane Society itself has flip-flopped on the issue of cages. It even joined with United Egg Producers in pushing for federal legislation that would preempt state laws and establish modified cages as a national standard.
Resources:
Examples of HSUS claiming that Proposition 2 means a "cage free" California.
"Post-election radical re-interpretation won't fly" -- Pacelle on modified cages 2009
"California will become a cage free state."
"Double-talk" and "A head-snapping turn around" -- Pacelle on cage-free California 2009
Humane Farming Association (HFA) report on the United Egg Producers/HSUS federal legislation and the implications for Proposition 2:
Cage Free -- or Free to Cage. HSUS flip-flops on cages.
About HFA: Founded in 1985 and now over 250,000 members strong, The Humane Farming Association (HFA.org) campaigns against animal cruelty and operates the nation's largest farm animal rescue and care facility.
For media inquiries, contact Jill Mountjoy at (415) 485-1495 or [email protected]
SOURCE Humane Farming Association
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