EDITOR: In the House version of the U.S. Farm Bill there is a very dangerous amendment – “the King Amendment” – that was introduced into the Farm Bill by Iowa Republican Steve King. It poses a huge threat to the 10th Amendment because, if passed, the King Amendment could repeal all state laws that affect agriculture. Laws set in place to protect food safety, dogs in puppy mills, and efforts to conserve the environment would all be null and void, and Coloradans would be stripped of the ability to pass state agriculture laws in the future.
Nikki Brewster
via letters@aurorasentinel.com
EDITOR: In the last decade, several states have passed legislation to protect animals, preventing the inhumane treatment of animals raised for food, protecting horses from slaughter and dogs bred in filthy conditions in puppy mills, including Colorado. There has been a growing awareness of animal treatment issues in addition to the growing demand to protect innocent animals. Those laws could be repealed by an amendment to the Farm Bill that was introduced by Iowa Congressman Steve King. His amendment threatens to repeal state laws to protect animals that voters worked hard to put in place, as well as other state laws pertaining to agriculture, like ones that ensure better food safety and working conditions for farmers. We must not allow this to happen. Colorado Sen. Mike Bennet is expected to be on the conference committee that will approve the final version of the Farm Bill. I urge him to work to remove the King amendment from the farm bill.
Moksuda McKeithan, Aurora
via letters@aurorasentinel.com