Ohio v. HSUS
Round 2?
With a new governor we get a new Secretary of Agriculture, Jim Zehninger, who, by default, will be the new head of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board. Zehringer will be the first SoA to have a full term in the newly created position.
The board was created in an effort to thwart radical animal rights groups from imposing onerous rules on farmers through ballot initiatives promoted with deceit. In the end, however, the board & Governor Strickland made a last minute "back room" deal with the group HSUS.
Zehninger says he wants to review that deal.
Zehninger, whose background is in raising poultry & fish seems to be more of the mindset that if you give these guys an inch & they'll take a mile. he sees the rules as roadblocks to new farmers. He wants to draw a line in the sand.
Kasich, who seems to shoot from the hip, says he wants to carefully review the issues & proceed with caution. Does this mean he will actually take aim?
HSUS is primarily in the organizing, PR & fund raising business. It is not affiliated with local animal welfare groups called humane societies. It's substantial war chest provides virtually no funding for animal welfare facilities (that in most cases are hurting for money). It's sole function is to promote itself & it's agenda. It would be a formidable opponent even for a Fox News announcer.
Building coalitions won't be easy either because the issue doesn't split neatly along any of the usual ideological lines. There is plenty of animosity between small "green" farmers & factory farmers. It's not a left & right thing - Rush Limbaugh is a big HSUS fan. It's more likely a city v. country thing but that's about it.
It could get interesting. It will probably get ugly.