Ballot Measures

The campaign for YES! on Proposition B, the Prevention of Puppy Mill Cruelty Act, officially kicked off today in Missouri, as the coalition supporting the statewide ballot measure launched its first TV ad of the election season. The 30-second spot, titled “Bad News,” began running today in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia/Jefferson City, Joplin, and Cape Girardeau.

I told you recently about efforts to stop rampant puppy mill abuses in Missouri, which is home to about 30 percent of the nation’s puppy mills, far dwarfing any other state. This November, Missourians will vote on Proposition B, a measure to stop puppy mill abuses by establishing common sense standards for the proper care of dogs.

Arizona, like 23 other states, allows citizens to circulate petitions and pass statewide laws directly through ballot initiatives. It’s a check on the politicians when they fail to represent their constituents’ views, and on the well-heeled special interests when they block policy reforms.

There was good news for animals yesterday in Missouri, when Secretary of State Robin Carnahan officially certified the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act for the November statewide election. The measure will appear as Proposition B on the ballot, and we will be working hard this fall to encourage Missouri citizens to vote Yes on Prop B.

I’m always curious about which blog posts resonate most with you—the readers. Traffic to my blog is a good indicator of what subjects are top of mind for animal advocates. So, below, I list the top ten most popular blog posts so far for the first half of 2010. In first place (by a mile) is my January blog on the release of our 2009 Humane Scorecard. Many of you want to know where your legislators stand on key animal protection issues—and our annual report card is a great place to start.

Here’s a selection of comments that have come into the blog lately. I recently wrote about the efforts to end cruel animal “crush” videos. The U.S. House Judiciary Committee passed a bill by Reps. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., to crack down on traffickers of these videos of extreme animal cruelty. Many of you are angry about these sick videos, too:

We’ve always known that statewide ballot initiatives have intangible benefits for the animal protection movement, in addition to getting new public policies enacted for animals. Thousands of animal advocates are trained in the political process when they gather signatures, knock on doors, or otherwise participate in campaigns. Millions of voters deliberate on animal protection issues when they walk into the voting booth and have to select “Yes” or “No” on a measure.

New York Assemblyman Gideon J. Tucker—the author of a mid-19th century animal cruelty law—wrote as a judge in 1866: “No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.”

Florida became the first state to ban gestation crates for breeding pigs in 2002, and since then, six other states have followed suit on the extreme confinement of farm animals. The Broward-Palm Beach New Times published a feature story this week by Kristen Hinman looking at the national debate over farm animal welfare, which began in Florida eight years ago.

Sarah Palin and Ellen DeGeneres might not have much in common when it comes to their views on animal protection. But what they do share is their role with other prominent women and political figures—including Hillary Clinton, Caroline Kennedy, Michelle Obama, and Condoleezza Rice—whose biographies are featured in the “Female Force” series of comic books by Bluewater Productions.