USDA Ordered to Stay Out of California's Proposition 2
A federal judge has ruled that the USDA must stop funding advertisements aimed at California voters. Proposition 2 will be decided by California voters on November 4, 2008, and would require larger cages for egg-laying hens, breeding sows, and calves raised for veal. As a government agency, the USDA is not permitted to get involved in political campaigns. The USDA claimed its ads were "neutral and educational," but the judge sided with the Humane Society of the US, which argued that the ads were too similar to the agribusiness campaign against Proposition 2.
The involvement of a government agency in a ballot initiative demonstrates the close ties between the USDA and the agribusiness interests they are supposed to oversee and regulate. Kudos to Judge Marilyn Hall Patel for putting an end to their illegal and unethical interference with this issue!
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Hello! Since you blog about animal issues, I thought you’d like to know about an upcoming animal event, taking place nationwide. It’s a new round of Party Animals, centering on the theme of a “Humane Bloc Party.” This is a fundraiser for the Humane Society Legislative Fund, http://www.hslf.org, which works to lobby for animal protection legislation, educate our supporters about animal protections issues and elect humane lawmakers for office. For more information about our Humane Bloc Party, you can go to our website, mentioned above, or go to http://www.partyanimals.fund.org. Also if you have any questions, please contact me at 202.676.2314. Thanks for your time and attention to this.
-Colleen Crinion