Proposition 12, HSUS, Exposed in California Legislature
SAN FRANCISCO, June 30, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A ballot initiative to replace California's current hen-housing law with the "guidelines" of United Egg Producers (an egg industry trade association) has been given its number by election officials, "Proposition 12."
Proposition12's future, however, is in doubt due to the eminent passage of AB 3021 (Levine) which would institute the exact same cage-space allotment (one square foot per hen) contained in the initiative.
That is only the first among many problems facing Proposition 12.
In a legislative hearing last week that even supporters conceded was "embarrassing," the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) failed to answer basic questions about its signature-gathering campaign and the initiative which recently qualified for the November 2018 ballot.
Assembly Member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry began with the most fundamental question: "You wrote Proposition 2 in 2008, and you wanted cage-free housing. Why did you not write Prop 2 to require cage free then?"
HSUS sidestepped that question. Assembly Members Marc Levine and Devon Mathis then requested details about the campaign's fundraising and its paid signature-gathering practices. HSUS responded that it was unable to provide the information requested.
Much of that information was, however, provided later by animal activists opposing the measure.
Bradley Miller, spokesperson for Californians Against Cruelty, Cages, and Fraud and the No On Prop 12 campaign, not only provided facts about HSUS's signature gathering, but also delivered a blistering critique of the measure itself, which is often referred to as "the rotten egg initiative."
Proposition 12 flatly contradicts HSUS's previous "cage-free" initiative (2008's Proposition 2) by explicitly legalizing the continued use of egg industry cages throughout California for several more years.
"The Humane Society of the United States is once again deceiving voters, flip-flopping on the issue of cages, and perpetuating the suffering of egg-laying hens," said Miller.
"The exact same egg-industry guidelines called for in this initiative are within days of being passed by the legislature. Prop 12 is now just a publicity stunt in search of a lawsuit." Miller continued, "Not only does this come at taxpayer expense, HSUS's reckless exploitation of California's ballot measure system is putting in grave danger a wide array of existing consumer, animal, and environmental protection laws."
"Of the initiatives appearing on the November ballot, Proposition 12 is the dirtiest of the dozen," concluded Miller, "We're confident that California voters won't get fooled again and that this fraudulent initiative will be decisively rejected."
About HFA
The Humane Farming Association (HFA)is dedicated to the protection of farm animals and operates the nation's largest farm animal sanctuary. Founded in 1985 and over 250,000 members strong, HFA is nationally recognized for its integrity and its groundbreaking anti-cruelty campaigns.
Media Inquiries Contact: Bradley Miller, National Director, (415) 485-1495
SOURCE Humane Farming Association
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