Washington's Dueling Proposals to Deal with Battery Cages

by Taylor Leake · 2011-05-09 06:30:00 UTC
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Battery cages, often used on factory farms, give egg laying hens so little room that they can't even flap their wings, stand up, or turn around. The cages are packed into enclosed spaces and stacked on top of each other, leading to unsanitary conditions that have been linked to the spread of salmonella in eggs.

It is no wonder, then, that folks in Washington state want to do away with the cruel crates. Back in January, a coalition called Washingtonians for Humane Farms, comprised of the Humane Society of the United States, Farm Sanctuary, and others, launched an ongoing effort to get an initiative on the ballot this November. Titled the "Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act," the measure would ban the use of battery cages on any farm in Washington and eliminate the sale of any caged eggs in the state (even if these eggs were produced in other states).

Here's where things gets interesting. A bill in the state Senate has also been introduced to deal with battery cages. Instead of banning them, however, SB 5487 and HB 1813 (the Senate and House bills) would merely require farms to switch to slightly larger cages by 2026. The bill has just passed through both houses and needs only to go through concurrence and then be signed in to law.

While it may sound like a victory for hens, the coalition working on an outright ban says the law doesn't address the real problems of battery cages and would weaken the coalition's own efforts. "Proponents of the bill intend to confuse voters," said Paul Shapiro, a spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States. "It merely gives the illusion of reform, when in reality it doesn't offer minimal improvements, in terms of offering less cramped cages, until the year 2026."

With the dueling proposals, the Animal Law Coalition, part of the Washingtonians for Humane Farms coalition, has launched a petition here on Change.org asking Governor Christine Gregoire to veto the bill. Instead of a non-solution wrapped up to look like a fix, the Animal Law Coalition is asking that the citizens of Washington state be allowed to vote for a real solution to the battery cage issue. Please sign the Animal Law Coalition's petition and help ensure safe, humane environments for chickens.

Photo Credit: mackenzienicole via Flickr

Taylor Leake is a foodie and activist. He's previously worked for Food and Water Watch and Wake Up Walmart.

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