The veto by Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam of a bill requiring anyone taking pictures or shooting video of animal abuse to turn the evidence over to law enforcement within 48 hours may have national impact. Haslam’s veto, coming on the heels of an opinion by his democratic Attorney General that the so-called “ag-gag” measures… Continue Reading
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has longer to decide whether to sign the state’s “ag-gag” bill than Food Safety News originally reported. If signed, the bill will make it a crime to record animal cruelty unless the material is quickly turned over to local law enforcement. In Tennessee, the Executive’s decision on whether to sign or… Continue Reading
The first known charges ever brought under a state “ag-gag” law were dismissed Tuesday in Utah. The would-be offender was 25-year-old Amy Meyer who last Feb. 8 was using her cellphone camera to film the Dale T. Smith and Sons Meat Packing Co. in Draper, Utah from public sidewalks. Meyer said she began using her… Continue Reading
Usually when someone trying to make a point with a new law eliminates the penalty for disobeying it, things settle down. Old legislative wags say that’s how a law becomes a suggestion. But in Tennessee, where Gov. Bill Haslam has ten days (excluding Sundays), to sign or veto new laws, folks have gotten more stirred… Continue Reading
The Indiana General Assembly early this morning adjourned for the year without passing any version of a proposed “ag-gag” law, including a tougher version that was favored by the Senate. When Senate Bill 373 passed in the Senate again Friday on a 29-to-21 vote, the measure went over to House. In the House debate that… Continue Reading
As the Hoosier General Assembly moves toward adjournment, as early as today and no later than Monday, recent action taken by the Indiana House Speaker is not looking too favorable for critics of the state’s farm protection legislation, also known as “ag-gag.” National animal advocacy groups thought that the differing versions of Senate Bill 373… Continue Reading
This week has not been an easy one for any of us. Certainly people most impacted by the Boston Marathon bombings or the West, Texas explosions had it worse than those of us who just had to watch in discomfort from a distance. The discomfort is that feeling that something is out of place. Maybe… Continue Reading
If Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam wants to have county superstar Carrie Underwood on his doorstep, apparently all he has do to is sign the Animal Cruelty and Abuse Act just passed by his state legislature. At least that’s the “threat” Underwood tweeted out on Thursday, adding “Who’s with me?” Apparently the Tennessee Senate and House… Continue Reading
The Tennessee House today will vote to make it a crime to videotape animal cruety or abuse and then fail to make that evidence available to law enforcement within a 48-hour period. Yesterday, the sponsor of a similar bill in California pulled his measure from the agenda about three hours before it was supposed to… Continue Reading
The Indiana House and Senate have passed differing versions of a Hoosier State “ag-gag” bill, sending the measure to a conference committee to see if the differences can be worked out. The Senate could have simply adopted the amended House version of Senate Bill (SB) 373, but instead the upper chamber “dissented from the House… Continue Reading
Deep into the current legislative season, it’s still not possible to say whether any state is going to adopt a full-blown “ag-gag” bill. At the moment, “ag-gag” is dead in three states, set for floor votes in two other states, undergoing significant amendments in two, and alive but not getting much attention in two others…. Continue Reading