All horses, regardless of the purpose for which they are raised, are included under the authority and rules of this board. I wonder what that has to do with “safe local food”? But that is not the biggest surprise. The minimum $500,000 annual budget is quite larger than the estimated $100,000 to $170,000 that we were told back in October. A commercial feed tax will be the source of plunder.

The most alarming section of this bill is 904.04 (B) which grants the director and those under him the authority to enter onto any private property to inspect or investigate, obtain samples, and examine or copy records without a search warrant. This seems like a clear violation of our Fourth Amendment right, along with our State Constitution Article I section 14.

This board will have; legislative power to create standards (904.03), judicial powers to determine violators (904.04,) and the authority to enforce rules and levy penalties (904.04 (6). There is little mention of the limits of this board other than; they cannot create a statewide animal ID system, and they have no authority over animal research facilities or certain food processing plants.

There is no protection for those who hold to certain religious practices (such as the Amish), nothing to protect the organic farm industry from forced vaccinations, no mention of an appeals process for those who wish to challenge the decisions of this boards, no statement that livestock are considered as private property and no mention of an annual spending cap.

HB 414 needs to protect the rights and liberties of Ohio’s farmers, not jeopardize them.

Clint Zeigler

Ohio Freedom alliance

Mount Gilead

Thanks for your tireless efforts.
Beth
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