Opponents, such as Missouri’s Food for America, say the amendment is dangerously written, says KWMU. They say it could insulate large-scale livestock producers, such as Smithfield, from regulation, says KWMU. A Sierra Club official says the amendment could give agribusinesses the right to challenge state and local pollution laws in court.
Associate Professor Erin Murrow Hawley of the University of Missouri law school says it would be up to the courts to decide the scope of the amendment. She told KWMU “some of the local zoning laws might be subject to challenge under the constitutional amendment” and added, “anything based on federal regulation would stand.”
Four other constitutional amendments are on the Aug 5 ballot. For details, click here.