Yes on Prop. 2 – Californians for Humane Farms, the proponents of an anti-cruelty ballot initiative that will provide more humane treatment of California farm animals, announced today that millions of advertising dollars slated to be spent by the federal government and agribusiness giants campaigning against Prop. 2 have been put on hold while a federal court decides whether the advertising violates federal law.
Under an agreement the Yes on Prop 2 campaign reached with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the American Egg Board (AEB), filed last night in federal court in San Francisco, no federally-funded print, television, or radio advertisements will run in California for at least one month while the court considers the Yes on Prop 2 campaign's request for an injunction.
"Agribusiness firms are already spending millions to defeat Proposition 2, and they hardly needed an illegal infusion of check-off funds authorized by the USDA to supplement their political campaign," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. "There is no reason this advertising campaign must run in California between now and the election, unless its true purpose is to illegally influence voter opinions."
Prop 2 will prohibit the most abusive factory farming practices in California and ensure modest animal welfare standards for farm animals by allowing them simply to turn around and extend their limbs.
Earlier this week, Yes on Prop 2 filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against USDA Secretary Ed Schafer and the AEB to prevent up to $3 million in federal checkoff funds from being used to unlawfully influence voter opinion in the state election. As a federal commodity promotion program, the AEB is strictly prohibited from expending any checkoff program funds "for the purpose of influencing governmental policy or action." 7 U.S.C.
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