The election might be over, but the fight over Proposition B isn’t.
“We were very distressed by the campaign that the Missouri Farm Bureau led in Missouri against the measure,” might seem an odd comment from the winning side, but it’s what Humane Society of the United States President Wayne Pacelle has told the Brownfield Farm Network well after the November 2nd election.
Pacelle has written an open letter challenging the contentions of the Missouri Farm Bureau during the campaign for Proposition B, especially that the HSUS pushed the dog breeder initiative as a first step to outlaw livestock production.
“We have been very focused on more humane treatment of animals in agriculture, but it is not our goal to end animal agricultural and I have said that in countless forums,” Pacelle insists.
He can say it. The Missouri Farm Bureau doesn’t believe it.
“Mr. Pacelle and HSUS have an agenda, as we’ve seen in other states, to go far beyond that and try to regulate animal agriculture in a way that we have a problems with,” the Missouri Farm Bureau’s Estil Fretwell dismisses Pacelle’s statements.
Fretwell returns fire against the HSUS.
“They bought their way on the ballot through initiative petition. They used the money that they had to run commercials in the urban areas and present a message there and it passed in the urban areas,” Fretwell tells Brownfield. “But you look in the rural areas of this state, where though a grass-roots campaign the message got out about Proposition B and HSUS, it was overwhelmingly defeated.”
Prop B passed 997,870 to 936,190, a margin of 61,680. Some state lawmakers have suggested that legislation to alter the provisions of the initiative petition might be considered in the upcoming legislative session.
AUDIO: Brent Martin reports [1:15 MP3]
