California’s Historic Prop 2 Pits Compassion Against Cruelty to Animals

by Mat Thomas, Farm Sanctuary, for The Animal World, October 2008

This November, California voters will have an unprecedented opportunity to outlaw three of agribusiness' most controversial confinement systems – veal crates, gestation crates for pregnant pigs and battery cages for egg-laying hens – in their state by 2015 by voting Yes on Prop 2. Also known as the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, Prop 2 is sponsored by Californians for Humane Farms, a coalition of animal activists, environmentalists, public health advocates, family farmers, and veterinarians led by Farm Sanctuary and the Humane Society of the United States.

A Prop 2 victory would improve the lives of more farm animals than any voter initiative in U.S. history and make California the first state to ban battery cages. Every year, nearly 20,000 breeding sows are confined on California factory farms in 2-foot-wide gestation crates that prevent them from even turning around during their four-month-long pregnancies. They also condemn approximately 19 million egg-laying hens for their entire lives to battery cages that provide less area for each chicken than an 8½ by 11 inch sheet of paper. There are currently no veal producers in California, but Prop 2 would keep them out forever.

But not everyone opposes animal suffering—especially those making money from it. The deceitfully-named Californians for Safe Food, a group that is comprised of the state's most powerful agribusiness conglomerates, is trying to crush Prop 2 through illegal tactics. After Californians for Humane Farms filed a complaint against UEP, they were recently caught red-handed in a money laundering scandal. As a result, the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission forced the No on 2 campaign to publicly divulge contributions of more than $4.5 million from some of the most disreputable factory farms throughout the nation.

In addition, the American Egg Board (AEB) recently passed a motion to illegally hold $3 million to help defeat Prop 2, so Californians for Humane Farms filed a lawsuit in federal district court suing the AEB and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for violating federal law by expending checkoff program funds “for the purpose of influencing governmental policy or action.” The Yes on Prop 2 campaign contacted the USDA and the AEB directly insisting that the USDA disallow any AEB activities in California designed to sway voter opinion. However, the USDA refuses to do its job by enforcing laws aimed at preventing industry groups from raiding public coffers to influence electoral outcomes.

You Can Help

• No matter where you live, please ask your friends and family in California to support animals abused on factory farms by voting YES! on Prop 2 this November! You can also learn more about the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act and donate to the campaign at yesonprop2.com.  

• Florida and Oregon have already passed legislation banning gestation crates, and Arizona has outlawed both gestation and veal crates. Join Farm Sanctuary’s Advocacy Campaign Team to find out how you can introduce ballot initiatives and legislation on behalf of farm animals in your state! Visit farmsanctuary.org and get involved today.