Massachusetts: The Latest Battleground in Factory Farm Regulations

Hot on the heels of the recent news that an impressive coalition of animal welfare, family farming, food safety, and environmental groups is pushing a ballot measure to ban battery cages in Washington, a bipartisan bill has been introduced in the Massachusetts state legislature, too. The bill, called the Massachusetts Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, was introduced by Rep. Jason M. Lewis (D-Winchester) and Minority Whip Sen. Robert L. Hedlund (R-Hingham). It would require that farm animals have enough room to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs, thereby banning battery cages that confine egg laying hens, veal crates that confine young cows, and sow stalls that confine pregnant pigs.

All three types of confinements are generally considered cruel to farm animals. In the case of battery cages, hens are crammed into tiny spaces, sometimes as small as a piece of office paper. The hens can't spread their wings, and often the cages stacked and crowded together, leading to filthy conditions that can contribute to the spread of diseases like salmonella. Likewise, sow stalls can be so confining that larger pigs don't have enough room to turn around, which means they are stuck either standing or laying on their stomachs. Luckily, the Massachusetts bill takes some pretty serious steps to eliminate these cruel and unsanitary conditions.

Supported by major organizations like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Farm Sanctuary, the bill builds on momentum created in Washington state, as well as in seven other states that have banned these three animal confinements: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, and Oregon. Alexis Fox, the HSUS’s Massachusetts state director says, "It’s simply wrong to confine animals in tiny cages barely larger than their bodies.”

Activists hope this trend continues in Massachusetts. "We encourage other elected officials to co-sponsor and support this important piece of legislation," says Allan Kornberg, executive director of Farm Sanctuary, an animal welfare non-profit.

You can stand with the many activists who want to see farms treat animals more humanely by visiting the HSUS and Farm Sanctuary's Web sites to keep up with news on their campaigns. You can also sign our petition urging the Massachusetts state legislature to pass the Massachusetts Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act. If Massachusetts passes its ban, America will be one step closer to doing away with battery cages, veal crates, and sow stalls once and for all.

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Photo Credit: sneakerdog via Flickr