Senate still sitting on egg-laying hen bill

The state Senate failed on more than the budget.

They didn’t even vote on a bill which would have given relief to thousands of egg-laying hens living in horrific conditions. H6023 banned “confinement… that prevents the animal from turning around freely, lying down, standing up or fully extending the animal's limbs”.

H6023 overwhelmingly passed the state House 61-9 following extensive committee review and testimony. It was even stripped down for easy passage.

The Senate’s failure to act allows one company to continue cramming thousands of egg-laying hens into battery cages. Search “battery cage hens” online, look at the pictures and read why many major food distributers and restaurant chains are going “cage free”.

Eggs from hens living in these appalling conditions are commonly used in Rhode Island restaurants and businesses, and sold in Rhode Island stores.

Besides the humane aspect, H6023 would also level the playing field for all Rhode Island egg farms.

The big question is: why was this bill denied a Senate vote for the second year in a row? Did Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, defer to the whim of Sen. Susan Sosnowski, an egg/poultry farmer and committee chair who strongly opposes it? Did agribusiness lobbying influence this?

I believe that the Senate owes Rhode Islanders an explanation of why this legislation once again died in their hands. If this is “politics as usual”, voters need to change some of the players in 2018. Victor Moniz Johnston