Humane Society

An Ag Prop 13?

Joe Mathews — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:25:00 -0400

In this Associated Press story, California state senator Dean Florez, who represents the Central Valley, compares the passage of last November's Prop 2 -- which imposed new regulations on farm animal confinement -- to the political earthquake of Prop 13. At least the agricultural version of Prop 13.

Florez and the story tout the passage of several animal protection measures by the legislature this year as a reaction to Prop 2, which was sponsored by the national champion of direct democracy, the Humane Society of the United States. Skeptical voices in the story suggest these measures are codifying changes in animal management that the agricultural industry already has embraced.

New Initiative Target in Ohio? Dog Auctions

Joe Mathews — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:03:00 -0400

Animal rights groups, in particular the Humane Society of United States, have a second-to-none record of winning ballot initiatives. In Ohio, such groups are considering an initiative to ban dog auctions.

What's the problem with dog auctions? As the Columbus Dispatch explains, animal rights groups claim dog breeders keep dogs in terrible conditions and force dogs to have too many puppies. Your blogger is not a dog guy (I still have nightmares from my early childhood, when I lived in Hong Kong and was periodically chased by wild dogs that had been abandoned to the streets), but he predicts: dogs make good copy and TV, so this is one ballot initiative that would have no troubles attracting media attention.

Post-Election Initiative Anger, Case 2

Joe Mathews — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:59:00 -0500

In California last year, the rights of a small minority were the target of a ballot initiative campaign. The minority rallied, but its campaign was overwhelmed by a better-run campaign on the yes side, and by what the minority saw as bias and misinformation.

I'm not talking about Prop 8. The minority in this case is California's farmers, who were on the losing side of Prop 2, an initiative backed by the Humane Society to impose limits on how chickens and other animals can be confined. The farmers are furious at the result, and they're gathering together to figure out how to combat misinformation and get out the word that farmers are just like everybody else. Details on a recent post-Prop 2 meeting of farmers are in this Visalia Times-Delta editorial.

NYT Mag Does Prop 2

Joe Mathews — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:32:00 -0400

This piece on the California initiative on farm animal confinement had been anticipated -- the Humane Society clearly gave the writer, Maggie Jones, considerable access -- but there's nothing new in it. It does provide a fair look at both sides of the issue, with some historical context.

Watch Out, Arizona. Here Comes the Humane Society

Joe Mathews — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:38:00 -0400

The Humane Society doesn't just protect animals. They're the leading defender of the initiative process. And as the blog Animals & Politics, by Humane Society Legislative Fund president Michael Markarian (above) makes clear, Arizona is about to feel the full weight of the society. Specifically, the Humane Society is exercised about Prop 105, the newest in a series of super-majority requirement for ballot initiatives that is sweeping the nation. Florida implemented a requirement that 60 percent of voters approve a ballot initiative. And Utah, trying to fight off the Humane Society, implemented one that only covers measures on wildlife protection.

But the Arizona ballot initiative goes further, by requiring that a majority of ALL REGISTERED VOTERS approve an initiative before it takes effect. Just winning among people who show up would not be enough.

Here's a New One: Prop 2 Supporters Sue Themselves!

Joe Mathews — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:36:00 -0400

In California, supporters of Prop 2, a Humane Society-backed ballot initiative to regulate how farm animals are confined, appear to have made a little bit of legal history. Earlier this month, they essentially sued themselves in an attempt to change their own ballot argument in favor of the measure.

The lawsuit, which is attached below, makes for odd reading. The language of the lawsuit sounds almost apologetic, asking for a "very minor change" (italics not mine) in both the ballot argument and the rebuttal to the "no" side's argument. Technically, the supporters are suing the Secretary of State, but they're suing the Secretary of State to change something they themselves wrote. The reason for the filing? To avoid voter confusion, the lawsuit says.

It appears that Humane Society folks thought they had lined up support for Prop 2 from some leading Catholics, but got pushback from church officials when the ballot argument said that Catholic leaders had endorsed the measure. The church itself has not. One Catholic group that endorsed the measure, the California Veterinary Medicine Association, also seems to be unhappy with one part of the ballot argument.

The Humane Society of the United States has a stronger record of success in ballot measures than any other interest group in the country. But this suggests that their California campaign is having some hiccups.

Egg Wars

Joe Mathews — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:57:00 -0400

Today's Sacramento Bee has an interesting overview of Prop 2, the California ballot initiative limiting how farm animals may be confined. If enacted, California farms effectively would be prohibited from raising hens in cages.

NYT Columnist Hearts Prop 2

Joe Mathews — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:08:00 -0400

Former farm boy and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof backs Prop 2, the California initiative to create a little more space for farm animals. He also writes about killing geese. Referring to the November vote on the measure, Kristof calls it "the most importnat election this November you've never heard of."

The Chicken And The Internet

Joe Mathews — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:04:00 -0400

Capitol Weekly examines how the use of the Internet by the proponents of Prop 2, the Humane Society's California ballot initiative to change the rules of farm animal confinement, show the way to the future of initiative politics. Joe Trippi is in the middle of this campaign.

Could They All Go Down Together?

Joe Mathews — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:55:00 -0400

Also posted at Fox and Hounds Daily.

The Field Poll has recently conducted surveys on 5 of the 11 initiatives -- plus one bond measure -- scheduled to appear on California's November ballot. The numbers are all over the place, but there's reason to believe that all six measures polled could be headed to defeat in November.

How's that?

Well, the lack of initial support for a ballot initiative is almost always an indication that it won't pass. Such measures are hard to sell even when they, at first blush, have appeal. To start out with less than 50 percent support and win requires a Herculean effort (and usually, very weak or non-existent opposition). On that basis alone, we can count out Prop 11, the redistricting measure, which shows only 42 percent in the poll, and Prop 4, parental notification, which has 48 percent. The same is also probably true of Prop 8, the ban on same-sex marriage, which also has only 42 percent in a recent Field Poll. One caution: the politics of gay marriage, which are really the politics of marriage, are complicated and relatively new, and other polling has shown this to be a tighter race than that. This is likely to be a 51-49 kind of campaign. The question is who wins.

The rest of the measures have majority support in the Field Poll. But the numbers may not tell much because so few people are aware of the measures. In fact, no more than 23 percent of voters were aware of any measures--with the exceptional of parental notification, a Groundhog Day measure which the voters have confronted in the past two election cycles. Support is more likely to fall than rise as voters learn more.

Prop 1, the oft-delayed high speed rail bond, has a decent chance, showing 56 percent support and 30 percent in opposition in the Field Poll. But supporters should not be comfortable. While the idea of rail is attractive, voters may end up focusing on the billions of borrowing required. Taking on new debt in a cash-strapped state at a time of credit crisis does not sound wise. And if the legislature and governor add budget-related measures to the ballot as a result of a budget compromise this summer, there will be considerable public debate in California about debt. In such an environment, Prop 1 is in deep trouble.

Prop 7, the renewable energy measure, shows even stronger support, at 63 percent in the Field Poll. But the measure has big political problems. Both state parties oppose it, as do local governments and environmentalists. If the environmental community can communicate its displeasure, the measure surely can be defeated. The presence of Prop 10, Boone Pickens' $5 billion bond to help the natural gas business, also could drag down Prop 7 if the two measures become connected in people's minds. (Memo to consultants: this may not be the time for a California campaign fronted by an out-of-state oilman).

Finally, we come to Prop 2, the Humane Society's measure to give farm animals a little more freedom to move around. It has 63 percent support, but it also faces a well-funded and fierce no campaign from agricultural interests. No campaigns usually drag a measure down, but the Humane Society has one of the most sophisticated political operations of any interest group. And the society has the best record in the country of winning ballot measure campaigns -- they win 4 times out of every 5.

This race will get closer, but in the end, the chickens win.

Everybody else loses.