House File 589 passes Iowa General Assembly

NEW YORK–In response to the Iowa General Assembly's passage of House File (HF) 589 Tuesday, the ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is urging Governor Terry Branstad to veto the dangerous "ag-gag" bill. HF 589 would criminalize activities used to conduct undercover investigations on farms, penalize whistleblowers, and protect animal abusers instead of working to prevent such mistreatment.

This dangerous bill is aimed at preventing investigations on farms that expose inhumane and cruel treatment of animals. However, HF 589 also has the potential to suppress the exposure of child abuse, drug use, assault, theft, violations of workers' rights and other illegal or unethical activity. A broad spectrum of groups representing environmental, workers' rights, civil liberties, public health and food safety interests have joined animal protection organizations in opposing the ag-gag legislation.

"The ASPCA urges Governor Branstad to prevent this harmful and unnecessary bill from becoming law," said Suzanne McMillan, director of the ASPCA farm animal welfare campaign. "We need additional transparency, not less, regarding the production of our food supply. Documentation by whistleblowers exposes animal abuse, environmental dangers, and serious health problems with our food supply. Where there are problems, industry should direct its energy toward resolving them, not covering them up."

A newly released poll commissioned by the ASPCA and conducted by Lake Research Partners reveals that almost two-thirds (64 percent) of Americans oppose making undercover investigations of animal abuse on industrial farms illegal. Accordingly, 71 percent of Americans support undercover investigative efforts by animal welfare organizations to expose animal abuse on industrial farms, including 54 percent who strongly support the efforts. The nationwide survey also reveals that 94 percent of Americans feel that it is important to have measures in place to ensure that food coming from farm animals is safe for people to eat, and 94 percent agree that animals raised for food on farms deserve to be free from abuse and cruelty.

For more information on the ASPCA and to join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade, please visit www.aspca.org.

About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation's leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.

To become a fan of the ASPCA on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/aspca. To follow the ASPCA on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/aspca.

###

Grassley Works to Ban Packer Ownership of Livestock

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today said he's introducing his bill that would make it unlawful for a packer to own or feed livestock intended for slaughter.

"The 2012 farm bill is a great opportunity to deal with vertical integration before it's too late.  The ag concentration forums provided a real opportunity to make progress, but unfortunately the administration failed to follow through on any of the grass roots input and we're still at square one." Grassley said.  "Outlawing packer ownership of livestock would make sure the marketplace works for the farmer just as much as it does for the slaughterhouse."

Grassley's Packer Ban excludes single pack entities and packers that are too small to participate in the Mandatory Price Reporting program.  The bill also exempts farmer cooperatives where the members own, feed, or control the livestock themselves.

Grassley said that the CEO of a major slaughter house once told a group of farmers:  You wonder why we own livestock?  Well, we own livestock so that when prices are high we can kill our own and when prices are low we can buy from the farmer.

"This statement shows their intent and unfairness to the family farmer," Grassley said.  "Vertical integration leaves the independent producer with even fewer choices of who to buy from and sell to.  And, it hurts the ability of farmers to get a fair price for their products."

Here is a copy of the statement Grassley entered into the Congressional Record upon introduction.

Prepared Floor Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley

Introduction of the Packer Ban

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation designed to help family farmers across this nation have a more level playing field when it comes to livestock markets.  The bill would prohibit meat packers from owning livestock.  The ownership of livestock by packers compromises the marketplace and hinders the ability of the farmer to receive a fair price.  It is simple, as one meat-packing executive once told me, packers own livestock so that when prices are high, they slaughter their own livestock.  When prices are low, they buy from farmers.

I would love to say opportunities for independent producers have gotten better since the last time we debated this bill during the 2008 Farm Bill.  But that simply isn't the case.  We are to the point where most farmers have to deliver their livestock to one of a few very large packers.  Farmers' bargaining power is diminished by the sheer size and economic position of the packers.  But beyond that, farmers have to compete with the livestock owned by the packing plant itself.  The packer ban would make sure the forces of the marketplace work for the benefit of the farmer as much as it does for the slaughterhouse.

I'm sure there will be folks in the packing industry that point out that farmers are doing okay right now, and that's great that farmers are experiencing a good period.  I am pleased anytime the hard work of livestock farmers results in a good price.  But I don't want my colleagues here in the Senate to be lulled to sleep and think just because prices are good right now means we don't have competition issues in the livestock industry that need to be addressed.  This is about ensuring farmers are able to get fair prices for years to come.  We need to work today, and implement this reform, to ensure the next generation of independent farmers has an opportunity to raise livestock and receive fair prices as a result of their hard work.

-30-

Greensboro, NC - February 29, 2012 - The C12 Group, America's largest Christian CEO roundtable provider, says that continuing media coverage about the recently announced U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate for all medical insurance plans to provide zero-cost abortifacients such as the "morning-after pill," beginning in late 2013, broadly misses the mark.  Don Barefoot, President and CEO of The C12 Group, with more than 1000 active members across America, says, "We know that consternation about the overreaching HHS Mandate isn't limited to church-affiliated organizations.  Bible-believing Christian business owners and CEOs see their roles as servant leaders at work as an extension of their faith and personal worship.  Several of our members have expressed outrage at the thought that our federal government is attempting to force their company medical plans to offer abortifacients.  Those with 50 employees or more also know that they'll be penalized $2000 per employee beginning in 2014 by pending ObamaCare legislation when they refuse, as a matter of conscience, to offer such medical coverage.  They are among literally tens of thousands of Bible-believing Judeo-Christian chief executives whose religious liberties would be trampled by the radical proposals coming out of Washington DC."

From 20 years of experience in working with more than 3000 established American companies with sales ranging up into the billions, C12 estimates that 10% of America's one million companies with at least $1 million in annual sales and 10 or more employees are led by Biblical worldview Christians with a deep personal faith that informs their leadership.  C12 estimates that these 100,000 firms employ more than five percent of U.S. adults, and routinely interact with nearly every American over the course of a typical year.  Overall, these companies represent a significant portion of the American business landscape.  Mr. Barefoot says, "Given their commitment to excellence as a matter of stewardship, these are among the most trustworthy and resilient small-to-midsized companies, making them especially vital to America's economic future.  Mr. Barefoot concludes, "C12 is a business organization that rarely takes time to comment on current socio-political events.

But this issue has crossed the line; we cannot be silent.  Unless the HHS mandate is rescinded, even in its amended form, many of these Christian entrepreneurs will be forced to drop company-sponsored medical coverage due to their deeply-held beliefs.  This is bad for millions of employees, bad for America, and an affront to people of Biblical faith everywhere."

C12 was founded by Buck Jacobs, a dedicated Christian, author and CEO, in 1992.  C12 is a growing network of more than 1000 members in 75 metro areas across America and is comprised of Christian CEOs and business owners who desire a trustworthy peer advisory board and seek to 'Build Great Businesses for a Greater Purpose.'

#   #  #