skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Cage-Free Decision on November Ballot for Bay Staters

play audio
Play

Thursday, October 13, 2016   

BOSTON -- When Commonwealth voters cast their ballots in November, one box they may check will for Question 3: a measure to prohibit cruelty in the confinement of farm animals.

There are currently no rules for the confinement of farm animals in Massachusetts, said Paul Shapiro, vice president of farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the United States. As a result, thousands of farm animals in the state are cramped in cages where they can barely move an inch their entire lives.

"Question 3 would establish some modest, commonsense rules for the treatment of farm animals,” Shapiro said; “mainly that they be able to at least turn around and extend their limbs. It really is that modest."

The measure would apply to veal and pork producers and require that eggs being sold in the state, from both local and out-of-state producers, be "cage-free.”

Some in the egg industry oppose Question 3. They say it would raise prices for consumers at the grocery store and could drive some farmers out of business.

October 12 was National Farmer's Day, and Shapiro noted that the ballot measure has garnered significant support from farmers in the Commonwealth.

"More than 100 Massachusetts family farms endorsed the 'Yes on 3' bid, as does the United Farm Workers,” Shapiro said; "because they know that cruel and inhumane conditions for farm animals are often bad for farmers and for farm workers, too."

If approved by voters, the Bay State would become the 11th in the nation to pass similar farm animal protection laws.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Menhaden are forage fish species and filter feeders, each capable of filtering up to seven gallons of water per minute. (Photo of female Osprey with Menhaden/TRCP)

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

Environment

play sound

By Claire Elise Thompson for Grist.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for New Hampshire News Connection reporting for the Grist-Public News Service C…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021