NE Governor: HSUS is Attacking U.S. Agriculture

Nebraska Governor Heineman says it’s unfortunate that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), a Washington, D.C.-based organization, thinks they know better than Nebraska livestock producers how to raise animals.

Speaking at the annual Governor’s Ag Conference in Kearney, NE the Governor referred to the HSUS possibly mounting a ballot initiative to change Nebraska’s laws regarding the raising of farm animals. Governor Heineman cited -30 to -40 temperatures a month ago when the state’s livestock producers were out caring for their animals. “Nowhere in sight was the Humane Society of the United States and yet they think they can tell us what to do,” said the Governor. “We do not need their help, we do not want their help and if they decide to do a ballot initiative in Nebraska, we will do everything possible to defeat them.”

The Nebraska Governor said an HSUS ballot initiative campaign would be an effort by activists to destroy the state’s number one industry. In Washington state HSUS is currently developing a ballot initiative to ban the use of cages in commercial egg-laying operations. Regardless of the state, livestock producers and agriculture always seem to end up the true target, of this well funded special interest group. ◆