Missouri voters and interest groups are locked in a battle over the right to farm, as some farmers say they need to secure that right in response to animal rights advocates and others that want to restrict the way their profession is done.
Missouri voters in August approved a measure that would enshrine the right to farm in the state constitution. However, it passed by such a narrow margin, a recount is now underway. Missouri’s secretary of state is expected to announce the results of the recount.
The idea behind Missouri’s amendment is to add another layer of protection against any future attempts to pass laws regulating anything from the use of genetically modified crops to how livestock are raised. A host of new regulations could put them out of business, supporters say. Missouri Farm Bureau president Blake Hurst agreed.
“We’ve seen animal care amendments across the nation,” he said. “Just recently we’ve seen the GMO initiatives in both Oregon and Hawaii that have actually curtailed farmer seed choices. We’re hoping to forestall any of that in Missouri.”
Read the full, original article: Missouri battles over amendment granting ‘right to farm’
