On Thursday, the Michigan House Agriculture Committee approved, by a 7-1 vote, two bills that address the health and welfare of farm animals. For the Associated Press article by David Eggert on Forbes.com, click here. According to the article,
[t]he legislation would put into law voluntary industry guidelines for farm animals' care - ranging from how much living space they need to slaughter practices - and require audits of livestock farms. A 12-member council would review and possibly recommend updated animal care standards at least every five years.If enacted the legislation would not take affect till 2020.
But critics argue the bills do not go far enough.
Critics questioned whether auditors hired by farms would report violations to the state Department of Agriculture. They warned the advisory council would be controlled by industrial interests, complained the animal treatment standards developed by trade groups are too weak or incomplete, and argued farms would be given too long - 11 years - to comply. Others said it makes no sense to make small farms pay for audits when most attention is centering on the state's 200 industrial livestock farms that keep thousands of animals in enclosed spaces.Both the Michigan Department of Agriculture and the Michigan Farm Bureau support the legislation. The Humane Society of the U.S. has already threatened a ballot initiative in 2010, similar to the one passed in California last November.
To view HB 5127, click here. To view HB 5128, click here.
Posted: 07/31/09
