As corporate agriculture interests seek to criminalize undercover investigations into factory farms and slaughterhouses, a wide range of people and organizations are voicing their opposition in unison. Twenty-seven national groups have signed on to a statement condemning proposed legislation that would thwart efforts to expose farmed animal abuse and other serious issues on modern farms.
The joint statement to lawmakers reads in part:
“These bills represent a wholesale assault on many fundamental values shared by all people across the United States. Not only would these bills perpetuate animal abuse on industrial farms, they would also threaten workers’ rights, consumer health and safety, and the freedom of journalists, employees and the public at large to share information about something as fundamental as our food supply. We call on state legislators around the nation to drop or vote against these dangerous and un-American efforts.”
Organizations signing the letter include:
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- A Well-Fed World
- Brighter Green
- Center for Constitutional Rights
- Center for Science in the Public Interest
- Compassion Over Killing
- The Cornucopia Institute
- Earth Policy Institute
- Earth Save
- Farm Forward
- Farm Sanctuary
- Food and Water Watch
- Food Empowerment Project
- Government Accountability Project
- The Humane Society of the United States
- In Defense of Animals
- Mercy For Animals
- National Freedom of Information Coalition
- National Press Photographers Association
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Organic Consumers Association
- Slow Food USA
- T. Colin Campbell Foundation
- United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
- Whistleblower Support Fund
- Youth for Environmental Sanity
Undercover investigations by MFA and other groups have led to landmark corporate animal welfare policy reforms, new and improved laws to protect farmed animals and the environment, felony convictions of animal abusers, increased consumer protection and food safety initiatives, and the closure of particularly corrupt facilities.
Recent polls show that 71 percent of Americans support undercover investigations of farms by animal welfare organizations, including 54 percent who strongly support the efforts. And nearly two-thirds of Americans oppose making undercover investigations of animal abuse on farms illegal.
Unfortunately, at the behest of the multibillion-dollar meat, dairy and egg industries, these Ag-Gag bills are being proposed in states all across the country. Now is the time to make your voice heard!
Take Action:
Harmful and unconstitutional whistleblower-suppression legislation is now being considered in the following states:
- Illinois: HB 5143 – Take Action
- Iowa: SB 431/ HB 589 – Take Action
- New York: S 5172 – Take Action
- Utah: HB 187 – Take Action
- Florida: Section 6 of SB 1184/HB 1021 (Section 6 died)
- Indiana: SB 184 (bill pending)
- Minnesota: HF 1369/ SF 1118 (bill pending)
- Missouri: SB 695 (bill pending)
- Nebraska: LB 915 (bill pending)