Currently, establishing a large-scale swine operation requires approval by county voters. The new proposal would allow such operations with only the approval of the county commission. If residents are unhappy with the commission's decision, residents would have 60 days to draft an approved protest petition and collect enough signatures -- 5 percent of voters in the previous secretary of state contest -- to force the issue to a vote.

The legislation apparently is being "fast-tracked," with little standing in its way to slow it down.

Corporate swine operations previously have been forced to go to a public vote for good reason. The smell can ruin neighborhoods and potentially cause significant pollution of waterways.

More concerning, however, is that this legislation places the burden on voters to undo a bad decision, while relieving the corporate swine operators of their duty to assure the public that they will take steps to mitigate the negative consequences of a large-scale hog farm.

The swine operators, not the public, stand to gain the most from such operations and therefore should carry the burden of proof that the proposed facility would do no harm. Transferring that obligation to the people -- who have little to gain directly but nevertheless must take action to protect their interests -- is simply another example of how our democratically elected government is placing corporate rights above the rights of individuals.

Jason Probst is News Editor at The Hutchinson News.