Ohio General Assembly’s Proposal on Livestock Care Standards Board

Peggy Kirk Hall, Director of the Agricultural & Resource Law Program for Ohio State University Extension, provides this update:

Both the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate passed resolutions this week to place the ballot issue on livestock care before Ohio voters in November.  The resolutions propose amending the Ohio Constitution to create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board.  The Board would have authority to establish standards governing the care and well-being of livestock and poultry in Ohio.

The two resolutions vary slightly.  The Senate version includes language aimed at thwarting future attempts to change the law, by granting the Board “exclusive” authority for livestock care standards and stating that no other constitutional provision shall “impair” the powers granted to the Board.

The General Assembly is expected to resolve the differences in the two resolutions next week.   Upon agreement of the final language, the resolution will go to Ohio voters on the November 3, 2009 ballot.

View the House resolution here and the Senate resolution here.  Ballotpedia is a website useful for tracking ballot proposals, including background information, newspaper articles, fiscal studies, and statements by proponents and opponents.  A page on Ballotpedia for the Ohio proposal is here.