Animals in Iowa just got a little safer.
A law was struck down that would have made it illegal for a person to get a job at a livestock farm, slaughterhouse, or puppy mill with the purpose of conducting an undercover investigation on animal welfare, environmental health and safety, or working conditions. A person doing this type of work could have faced up to two years of jail time.
This “ag gag” law was passed in 2012 and supported by the livestock industry. A federal judge found the law violated the First Amendment right to free speech.
Challengers to the the law were the ACLU of Iowa, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, PETA, and Bailing out Benji, as well as others.
Rita Bettis Austen, legal director for the ACLU of Iowa, said, “Ag gag clearly is a violation of Iowans’ First Amendment rights to free speech. It has effectively silenced advocates and ensured that animal cruelty, unsafe food safety practices, environmental hazards, and inhumane working conditions go unreported for years.”
Animal Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Stephen Wells said in a statement, “Ag-Gag laws are a pernicious attempt by animal exploitation industries to hide some of the worst forms of animal abuse in the United States.”
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Since the law went into effect in 2012, no undercover investigations have been conducted. However, investigations in the past have revealed Iowa workers throwing piglets onto a concrete floor and beating pigs with iron rods. Ag gag laws inhibit not only journalists and activists from conducting investigations, but also prevent other employees from reporting code violations, pollution, and cruelty.
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The Iowa Attorney General’s office stated it is considering whether or not to appeal the decision. The Iowa Pork Producers Association said they would continue to fight, feeling the need to protect their production from those who would reveal what really goes on.
Laws in other states banning undercover work for animal cruelty have also been stuck down. Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming all passed similar legislation that failed to stand up in federal court. North Carolina is currently defending yet another attempt to stifle activists’ work for animals.
But the precedent has been set that undercover work is legally protected, and as ag gag laws fail in court again and again the hope is that the livestock industry will no longer be able to use this type of legislation to prevent the truth about conditions to get out.
Although this doesn’t end the suffering of the thousands of animals suffering in factory farms and puppy mills right now, it is a positive step moving forward. Those with the best interest of animals, the environment, and communities at heart have the ability to bring transparency and awareness in the future.
What’s New…
GOOD NEWS! — AG-GAG laws MUST be ABOLISHED once and for all — FOREVER.
KILL THIS FUCKING PEOPLE
A positive step forward, yes.
PEOPLE…please go vegetarian/vegan. If humans don’t eat animals, these animals won’t be kept in squalor or abused..
I hope everyone who mistreats animals get the same treatment done to them….then they go to jail for a long time & pay hefty fines….NO EXCUSES.
I am so relieved to hear this.
People that work in slaughter houses, are mentally sick.
Please stop abusing the defenceless
Biedne indyki
This animals needs to be free and save from being tormented
I can’t believe that criminalising undercover animal cruelty was even a subject up for debate! Those responsible for even making it a subject should be ashamed! Animals need protection and without it people can carry on with absurd behaviour. I hope that one day animals are given as much rights as we have as human rights!
DEATH PENALTY FOR ALL ANIMAL ABUSERS WOULD BE A BLESSING…A REAL BLESSING. SAVE THE
PRECIOUS ANIMALS AND KILL THE ANIMAL ABUSERS..
Protect these animals. Please try to go vegan.
I hated that Ag Gag law. For once I’m reading some good news, well, good in the sense that judge deemed it a violation of First American and reinstated the freedom of undercover workers to bust these sick sociopaths, animal torturers. Now let’s see what will be done to them, like convictions and jail time. But at least the first important step has been taken. Thank you Judge
Wonderful that this awful law has been struck down.
The goings on in factories dealing with animal matters must be open to inspection at any time. It only proves that what goes on behind closed doors. Of course those selling slaughtered animals just want to kill as many as possible without being tied by welfare rules but this is 2019 and such primitive and mindless ideas must be updated.
When we learn that a legislature is trying to pass such AgGag laws, we should lobby, protest, and bring pressure on them to not only avoid having their law struck down by a good judge, thereby wasting taxpayer money to pass and print such laws, BUT, we must lobby and demonstrate FOR positive laws that protect animals — ALL animals — even farmed animals. Further, we should live our lives to try to reduce the market for animals who get cruelly treated in the name of profit.
Good. Let’s hope they get thoroughly investigated and exposed.
Good for ACLU Iowa.
There has to be a kinder way to find these dogs home or build a shelter with government help. You have to think outside the box and not execute all these dogs.
I am so glad that they struck down this ag gag law. All it was was a right to torture animals. Yes all factory farms should be prohibited and abolished. There is too much meat on grocery store shelves going to waste. There is no need for factory farms.
Factory farms should really be prohibited. There’s no end to the corruption and abuse. This is no way to raise any kind of animal. Human beings seem to just get worse and worse. No wonder the planet is trying to kill us.
So now what are you going to do about it? More ACTION less TALK. We can not let them get away with it.
I don’t know how anyone who cares about how animals feel, can eat turkeys after seeing this. How is it so easy to turn a blind eye to what these animals go through to end up on people’s plates.
It’s not too late for a New Year’s Resolution.