State fair ID rule comes under fire
Kevin Vaughan, Rocky Mountain News
Published August 31, 2007 at midnight
Two legislators say they'll ride to the rescue of kids like those kicked out of the Colorado State Fair this year after questions arose about whether they followed a controversial new registration requirement.
The two competitors were disqualified after officials concluded they did not follow the rule requiring them to identify the "premises" where they raised their animals.
The rule mirrors a voluntary federal animal identification program.
State Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, and state Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, announced Thursday they would introduce legislation next year that would prohibit state agencies from requiring participation in voluntary federal programs.
"The problem is we're mandating a voluntary federal program, and we're doing it on the backs of kids," Gardner said.
The controversy surrounds the National Animal Identification System, a contentious federal program that is billed as a weapon against the spread of disease. Those who agree to participate register their "premises" and their animals. Eventually, the program will include a service tracking the movement of animals.
Many farmers and ranchers are leery of registering their property and animals with the federal government. Some fear being held liable if a disease is traced to one of their animals.
The state fair board voted in January to require competitors to comply with the "premises ID" component of the system - to, essentially, spell out on entries the location where the animals were raised.
Monday, state fair administrators said two contestants listed the LaPlata County Fairgrounds on their entry forms, but that neither had raised the animals there. Both were disqualified.
Colorado Agriculture Commissioner John Stulp said Thursday that he supports the identification program.
"State fairs are a popular opportunity for young people to showcase their projects, but there's an element of risk there we're trying to minimize by knowing where these animals came from and being able to trace them back in a quick manner," Stulp said.
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