Please see State Senator Mike Parson’s op-ed below. Sen. Parson is one of agriculture’s strongest allies in the state legislature. If you would like to contact Sen. Parson’s office, please visit
A troubling trend of attacking agriculture is sweeping its way across the country, and our state is on the front lines of this battle. You may have heard about recent efforts by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to alter Missouri’s constitution through initiative petitions by pouring unprecedented amounts of cash into the election process and misinforming voters about the issues at hand. Missourians and the agriculture community have spoken by fighting against these measures and have sent a clear message – we don’t need out-of-state interests to guide our state laws.
In 2010, Missouri voters, both rural and urban were asked to vote on Proposition B, also known at the “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act,” a ballot initiative sponsored by HSUS. The election was fiercely contested throughout the state, however, it passed by narrow margin of votes (51.7 percent). Some voters did not understand what they were voting for because most of the “nuts and bolts” of the proposition was not included on the ballot. Voters were right to want to protect animals from harm because animal cruelty is a serious issue that deserves attention; however, Proposition B did not make any distinctions between good and bad producers, would have applied to all animals near a family dwelling and would have shut down hundreds of family dog breeders throughout the state.
After citizens and lawmakers realized what the implications of Proposition B would mean for agriculture in Missouri, the law was recrafted, fixed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor. “The Missouri Solution” created a new crime targeting unlicensed dog breeders, strengthened guidelines for producers and increased the number of inspections of licensed dog breeders in Missouri, while keeping the heart of the proposition intact. Simply put, the fix to Proposition B protects legitimate dog breeders, punishes the bad one, and protects farmers and ranchers. I’m proud of the way the agriculture community and lawmakers worked together for a solution.
This year’s “Your Vote Counts” campaign was HSUS’s response to Proposition B. The campaign was another initiative petition drive aimed at making it more difficult for Missouri lawmakers to revamp or overturn laws created by voter-approved initiatives. The proposal would have modified Missouri’s constitution by requiring a three-quarters supermajority of the Legislature to amend, or change, voter-approved initiatives. What troubled me about this proposal is the fact that a three-quarter vote is a higher threshold than our constitution requires for lawmakers to override a veto by the governor and would have no precedent in Missouri law. If passed, this would have opened the door for millions of out-of-state dollars to be poured into Missouri and put dozens of special interest groups’ initiative petitions on the ballots. Organizers of the “Your Vote Counts” campaign have recently suspended their efforts, meaning Missouri voters will most likely not have to vote on the question any time soon.
I’m glad HSUS got the message and that agriculture in Missouri has been protected from out-of-state groups that want to change the way farmers and ranchers operate here in Missouri. It is through the efforts of our agriculture coalitions and citizens who contacted their legislators, held town hall meetings, and educated the public, which led to this withdraw. As long as the agriculture community in Missouri can stay together, successes like these are possible. We can make a difference to accomplish our goals, but the battle over protecting agriculture is not over. We must always be prepared to stand up for what is right for all farmers and producers. We are the backbone of our state’s economy, and we must protect our way of life for generations to come.
Michael L. Parson
Missouri State Senator – District 28
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