Nov. 4--COLUMBUS -- The decision may have merely punted the real fight until 2010, but Ohio voters Tuesday strongly supported creation of a new state panel to write standards for the treatment of livestock animals.

With 90 percent of the votes counted, Issue 2 was easily passing with 64 percent of the tally.

Issue 2 creates a 13-member Ohio Livestock Standards Board to develop rules for the treatment of farm animals in the food chain that would be enforced by the Department of Agriculture. The ballot question linked the issues of animal care with food quality, safety, and affordability.

Supporters of Issue 2 -- among them Gov. Ted Strickland, the General Assembly, the Ohio Farm Bureau, and numerous agricultural organizations -- have made no secret that part of the impetus for the constitutional change was to undermine an attempt by a Washington-based animal-rights group to push its own reforms.

"Passage of Issue 2 is a strong statement by Ohioans in support of Ohio farmers and their role in providing, safe, affordable, Ohio-raised food for our consumers," said John Lumpe, president of Ohioans for Livestock Care and executive director of the Ohio Soybean Association. "Throughout the campaign, our farm community stood united in recognizing the importance of having Ohio experts setting policies for farm animal care and protecting our food supply," he said.

Not directly affiliated with county humane societies, the Humane Society of the United States promised to pursue "real reform."

It is considering circulating petitions for its own proposed constitutional amendment to write over the changes Ohio voters just made. It just created a new political action committee, Ohioans for Humane Farms, for that purpose.

"Regardless of what happened with Issue 2, the status quo for farms would have remained -- specifically, extreme confinement of animals in cages barely larger than their own bodies," said HSUS spokesman Paul Shapiro.

As it did successfully in Michigan and six other states, the organization plans to push a mandate requiring that pens and cages confining veal calves, breeding pigs, and egg-laying poultry be large enough for them to lie down, turn around, or spread their wings.

Contact Jim Provance at: jprovance@theblade.com or 614-221-0496.

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