PD Editorial: No on Prop. 2

No rational person favors inhumane treatment of animals, including those raised for food.

Proposition 2 on the Nov. 4 ballot purports to address animal cruelty by prohibiting the use of small cages or pens for egg-laying hens, calves and pregnant sows.

California's veal and hog industries are small. So the real target is the state's $337 million egg industry, which includes two large producers in Sonoma County.

Proposition 2 is sponsored by the U.S. Humane Society, which says the use of "battery cages" amounts to animal cruelty because hens can't turn around, spread their wings or dust bathe.

Farmers began using cages in the 1940s, in part for economic reasons, but also because separating hens from manure is more sanitary and protects against food-borne illness. They say hens aren't stressed by the cages, which have gotten larger over time.

Both sides point to veterinarians and University of California studies to buttress their arguments.

That's just one reason why we recommend a no vote on Proposition 2.

This issue is too complex to be settled via campaign sloganeering. It should be reviewed by the state Legislature. Yes, the Legislature has its shortcomings, but it's a public forum with open hearings and offers an opportunity to ask questions and balance expert views.

Proposition 2 is drafted by one party to the dispute, and it would require another statewide election to fix any unforeseen problems. Its passage would encourage other interest groups to tackle even more complex issues via the initiative.

Passage of Proposition 2 also would threaten a major industry with no guarantee of fulfilling its stated purpose. Many growers could easily move their operations to Mexico or neighboring states where battery cages are allowed, taking jobs with them and shipping eggs back.

Some environmentalists worry about greenhouse gas costs associated with building large barns (Proposition 2 doesn't require free-range birds), energy to heat those barns and fuel needed to truck eggs from outside the state.

Arnie Riebli, a Sonoma County farmer who wrote in our Forum section on Sunday, produces a million eggs a day and tells us that 95 percent are delivered within a 65-mile radius, sometimes within hours of being laid. That's truly a local food product.

He has caged hens and uncaged hens and changes the proportions based on demand. Voting with their dollars, he said, consumers buy more than 90 percent of their eggs from caged hens.

For those opposed to battery cages, alternatives already exist. For those confused by the competing claims, the legislative process is better than this all-or-nothing approach.

The Press Democrat recommends a no vote on Proposition 2.