Amish residents in Kentucky take on authorities over horse poop bag laws

[Suzanimal]

The Amish community of the western Kentucky city of Auburn is in conflict with local authorities after ignoring an ordinance which requires large animals such as horses, to wear special collection bags designed to catch their droppings.

Residents argued that the law unfairly targets their community and have said they won’t comply with the rules, according to the Daily News of Bowling Green.

Many Amish have ended up in court as a result, with some even being jailed for refusing to pay fines for not conforming to the rules, but they claim putting bags on their horses could frighten the animals.

Attorney Travis Lock filed a complaint last week on the matter, stating that it is unconstitutional as it’s used to “single out” the Amish community in Auburn.

“It’s being clearly designed to single out the Amish and frankly, to discriminate against the Amish,” Lock said. “This ordinance was passed to target this particular group of the Amish in the Auburn community and that in and of itself is unconstitutional and discriminatory.”

Officials from the city maintain the the ordinance is for health and safety reasons and keeps the risk of spreading disease low.

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https://www.rt.com/viral/365282-amish-kentucky-horse-poop/

[tod evans]

When did Californians migrate to Ky?

[Suzanimal]

Horse Manure Figures in Fight Over Religious Freedom

An unusual clash about religious freedom is playing out in the small city of Auburn, Kentucky: It's all about horse diapers, reports the Wall Street Journal. Two local Amish men have filed a lawsuit against the city, its mayor, and its police chief, accusing them of violating their ability to exercise their religion. Back in 2014, the city passed an ordinance requiring that horses on city streets have a "properly fitting collection device." The city says it's simply a health and safety issue, reports the Democrat News Leader, and not just about sanitation: The mayor says a child slipped in manure while walking to school. The law isn't targeting anyone "based on his or her religious views," says an attorney for the defendants, a view that the lawsuit disputes.

The men who brought the suit belong to the Old Order Swartzentruber Amish, an especially conservative branch that shuns modern contraptions. They carry shovels to clean up manure, and argue that this should be sufficient, while the city's lawyer says stopping to shovel poop poses dangers of its own. Regardless, the Amish say they took a vote and decided to ignore the law:D, and they say that individual members would be "shunned" if they didn't comply with the vote, reports the Daily Beast. Another problem: These Amish aren't allowed to pay fines, which is why one of the plaintiffs spent 10 days in jail in 2015. (See why this Amish teen was pulled over while driving his buggy.)

http://www.newser.com/story/237392/horse-manure-figures-in-fight-over-religious-freedom.html