Appeals court sets aside ruling on Iowa's packer ban
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
DES
MOINES — The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday set aside a
lower court ruling that found Iowa's ban on meatpacker ownership of
livestock operations to be unconstitutional. A three-judge panel
of the court sent the case back to U.S. District Court in Des Moines
for trial.
Virginia-based
Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork processing company, had sued
the state in 2002, claiming Iowa's ban on packer ownership of livestock
infringed on interstate commerce.
The
state's 1975 packer ban prohibited processors from owning, controlling
or operating a feedlot in Iowa. An amendment in the spring of 2002
expanded the law to include former executives of meatpacking companies
and prohibited meatpacker financing of livestock operations.
(more)
Air quality bill nothing more than a smokescreen
Times-Republican, Marshalltown
Earlier
this month Governor Vilsack vetoed HF 2523, a bill that claimed to stop
air pollution from factory farms. In reality, it was nothing more than
a smoke screen and would not have adequately protected the health of
Iowans from factory farm air pollution. Members of Iowa Citizens for
Community Improvement (Iowa CCI) and rural residents across the state
are grateful that the Governor made the right choice to protect the
health of rural residents by vetoing this bill.
(more)
Our hearts go out to the people of Bradgate.
Blog For Iowa 