California's Proposition 2 and Massachusetts' Question 3 were not the only victories for animals tonight on statewide ballot measures. Arizonans soundly rejected Proposition 105, which would have made it nearly impossible to pass any future ballot initiative dealing with animal protection.
The factory farm corporations that spent $9 million to oppose Proposition 2 in California would have us all believe that urban city slickers just don't know what it's really like on the farm. They tried to romanticize agriculture and use farmers as spokespersons, even though these are the very corporations that have polluted rural communities and pushed family farms out of business.
I've been leafleting at the polls in Los Angeles this morning, and talking to Californians about Proposition 2. Voting here ends in about seven hours, and we will soon have an answer to the question that's been on my mind: Can animal advocates break the jinx of #2?
Of the dozens of statewide ballot measures on animal protection issues over nearly two decades, we've won more than 70 percent of the time. But we've never won a battle when it was #2 on the ballot.
The first returns are coming in from Massachusetts, where voters are deciding on Question 3 to ban greyhound racing. With only a handful of precincts reporting, the YES side is winning 59% to 41%. This will be one to watch, and could come down to a photo finish.
One thing I don't normally do is make predictions. But I will say that it is looking pretty good so far for the greyhounds in Massachusetts. The vote on this issue in 2000 was a narrow 49% to 51% defeat, and the town-by-town results reported at this point show that every area is outperforming how it voted last time by 5% to 20%.
New England Cable News just called the race on Question 3, and the greyhounds win! It's currently 56% to 44% in favor of the YES vote, with 22% of precincts reporting. Congratulations to all the Massachusetts volunteers and dedicated campaigners who fought to the finish line for the greyhounds! This is a tremendous victory for animals, and will save man's best friend from cruel confinement, broken legs, and other abuse.
With only 9% of precincts reporting in California, Proposition 2 is winning by a wide margin of 63% to 37%. Let's hope the solid YES vote holds, and we may see a historic victory for millions of farm animals tonight.
We are just six days away from what is shaping up to be one of the most historic elections in our lifetime. While voters are weighing the economy and other pressing national concerns, advocates of animal protection also need to know which lawmakers and candidates are standing up for their interests. When you fill out your mail ballot or go to the polls on Tuesday, the Humane Society Legislative Fund wants you to be armed with information on the candidates who are fighting for animal welfare in a very determined way.
The Agribusiness Big Shots opposing Proposition 2 are spewing out so much manure that it’s hard to keep up on this blog alone. And I don’t just mean the literal manure which is illegally dumped into local water supplies, and which is piling up to give their neighbors sore throats, headaches, and respiratory problems.
The battle of the airwaves is gaining pitch in California over Proposition 2—the groundbreaking measure to give farm animals a little relief from cruel confinement. But it’s always good to know a little bit about the people who are telling you how to vote.
