FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — California dairy cows will be able to swat flies as nature intended now that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill banning the painful practice of tail docking.
Dairy officials say the practice of cutting off cow tails to prevent them from slinging manure is practiced on fewer than 15 percent of the state's 1.5 million dairy cows.
The governor also signed several other farm bills into law late Sunday after famously ridiculing them as being a waste of legislators' time. Schwarzenegger made the comment as he tried to pressure legislators to focus on balancing the state's beleaguered budget.
On Sunday, Schwarzenegger gave the green light to a new state blueberry commission and new label requirements for honey. He vetoed legislation to crack down on large-scale puppy mills.