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Fate of Nebraska’s packer ownership ban to be decided

A final vote on LB176, a bill lifting Nebraska’s ban on packer ownership of hogs, is slated for tomorrow (Friday) in the Nebraska Unicameral.

Nebraska Farmers Union is leading the fight to defeat the measure, saying it would reduce competition in the marketplace and threaten family farms.

Another one of their arguments, says Farmers Union president John Hansen, is that it could make Nebraska’s ban on packer ownership of cattle more vulnerable to legal challenge.

“The idea of having beef packers directly own beef in Nebraska is certainly not supported by the rural community or the beef producing community,” Hansen says, “and yet this bill is going to undermine that beef ban.”

Hansen predicts the final vote will be a close one.

“It takes 33 votes to get cloture,” he says. “The last round they had exactly 33—so if one vote comes off of 33 on final reading, we’re going to have at least two hours of debate. If they don’t get those 33 votes, the bill is dead.”

“So it’s just that simple—this is going to come down to one or two votes.”

Nebraska is the only state that prohibits meatpackers from owning hogs. The ban has been in effect since 1998.

AUDIO: John Hansen