Ohio voters approve creation of livestock board

Columbus, Ohio

-- Livestock housing standards in Ohio will be decided by a Livestock Care Standards Board as voters approved Issue 2.

The ballot measure passed Nov.3 with 64 percent voting in favor of establishing this new board to address animal welfare standards. The governor now is required to make 10 appointments, while the speaker and president of the state Senate are guaranteed two of the slots. The General Assembly is charged with passing legislation for the implementation of the new board, according to the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), which supported Issue 2.

OVMA will make recommendations for appointments to the board that must include representatives of Ohio family farms, farming organizations, food-safety experts, veterinarians, consumers, the dean of an agriculture department at an Ohio college or university and a county humane organization representative.

The Humane Society of the United States, which is campaigning to reform livestock housing nationwide, did not support Issue 2.