An amendment to the Missouri Constitution that would enshrine a right to farm has moved one step closer to ratification this week with a 32-1 vote in the state senate endorsing the measure, despite some minor changes.
Over the past several years, several agricultural states have found themselves embroiled in conflicts with animal rights organizations. In states like Missouri and Ohio, animal rights groups have used ballot initiatives to push for major changes to laws regulating the treatment of animals on farms and ranches.
In response to these initiatives, some states have pushed to write constitutionally protected farming rights, limiting the ability of local, and even state governments to interfere with agricultural production.
The proposed Missouri amendment in the state’s House of Representatives would do exactly that, guaranteeing the right of farmers to farm and banning state and local petition drives or ballot initiatives that would infringe on farmer’s rights. According to the chair of the House’ Agriculture Committee, “All we wanted to do was not be pressured by outside groups who would try to take that right away from us,” he said. “I’m talking about animal-rights groups. This was an obstacle in the way of farmers we wanted to remove.”
The amendment was recently approved by the Senate, although the ban on petitions and ballot initiatives was removed. If the House approves these changes the amendment could be on the ballot as early as 2014.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer