RELEASE: Massachusetts Voters Approve Question 3 in a Landslide to Prevent Animal Cruelty and Protect Food Safety

The passage of Question 3 will help ensure all Massachusetts residents have access to affordable, safe, responsibly-produced food.

(Nov 8, 2016) Boston, Mass. — Citizens for Farm Animal Protection celebrated the passage of Question 3 this evening. Results as of 10:20 p.m. ET show Question 3 winning by 78 percent to 22 percent, with 47 percent of precincts reporting. The initiative will require that baby calves raised for veal, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens in Massachusetts have enough room to turn around and extend their limbs, and require that meat and eggs sold in the state also meet this modest animal welfare and food safety standard.

“Massachusetts voters made history today by establishing commonsense rules against the extreme confinement of farm animals,” said Stephanie Harris, YES on 3 campaign director. “Implementing Question 3 will prevent animal cruelty and improve food safety for Massachusetts families.”

The coalition supporting Question 3 includes The Humane Society of the United States, MSPCA, Animal Rescue League of Boston, Zoo New England, the Massachusetts Sierra Club, ASPCA, United Farm Workers, more than 100 Massachusetts farmers, and over 500 Massachusetts veterinarians. Other endorsers included the Center for Food Safety and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, because extensive research shows that facilities using cages have higher rates of Salmonella than their cage-free counterparts.

“Voters have approved four of four anti-factory farming ballot measures, by increasing margins,” added Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS.  “The American public has no tolerance for extreme confinement of farm animals.”

The Yes on 3 campaign expressed its gratitude to Massachusetts voters, who saw through the false claims and rhetoric of the factory farming industry about food costs, and sided with commonsense standards to protect farm animals and food safety.

In Oklahoma, voters overwhelmingly rejected a “right to farm” measure tonight, handing a loss to the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and other pro-factory farming trade associations.

For more information, visit www.citizensforfarmanimals.com