Humane Farming Association Condemns Passage of Massachusetts "Rotten Egg Bill"

BOSTON, Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Humane Farming Association (HFA) today denounced the passage by the Massachusetts House of Representatives of S. 2481, also known as "The Rotten Egg Bill." For two years, HFA and other animal advocates have been sounding the alarm about this legislation which repeals an animal-care standard approved by an overwhelming 78% of Massachusetts voters.

In 2016, Massachusetts voters approved Question 3, a ballot measure which requires that egg-laying hens be provided no less than 1.5 square feet of floor space each. The law was scheduled to go into effect this coming January. Under the new legislation which passed the House today, the egg industry will now be allowed to ignore the 1.5 square foot standard and to inhumanely crowd 50% more hens into egg factories than permitted by Massachusetts' voter-enacted law.

"The egg industry and a few co-opted animal groups falsely portrayed this cruel reduction in floor space – to a mere one square foot per hen – as an 'enhancement' to Question 3," said Bradley Miller, national director of the Humane Farming Association. "In reality, this is an outright repeal and replacement of Question 3's central and most important anti-cruelty provision."

The bill, which passed the Senate in June, must now go to conference committee to iron out technical differences between the House and Senate versions before it is sent to the Governor's desk.

"Whether you supported Question 3 or not, every Massachusetts resident should be outraged by legislators' decision to overturn election results," Miller said. "This Rotten Egg Bill is a devastating setback to farm-animal protection and a major betrayal of Massachusetts voters."

About HFA
The Humane Farming Association (HFA) is dedicated to the protection of farm animals and operates the nation's largest farm-animal sanctuary.  Founded in 1985 and over 270,000 members strong, HFA is nationally recognized for its integrity and its groundbreaking anti-cruelty campaigns.

Contact: Bradley Miller (415) 485-1495
[email protected]

Related Links
https://stoptherotteneggbill.org/
https://www.hfa.org

SOURCE Humane Farming Association

Related Links

http://www.hfa.org

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