Citizens in Charge

In a battle forming over proposed state standards for farm animal treatment, farmers and agribusiness leaders are supporting the proposals — and squaring off against animal activists who oppose them. A bruising 2010 ballot initiative campaign could be on the horizon, led by the Humane Society of the United States. Representatives of that group say the proposed bills, which could be voted on in the House Agricultural Committee this week, don’t address their concerns about tight confinement methods, such as battery cages for poultry.