Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has been inundated with calls and emails for him to veto “ag-gag” legislation that aims to silence whistleblowers who expose abuses on factory farms.
Ag-Gag Laws: Targeting Investigators, Whistleblowers, and Journalists
“Ag-gag” bills are being introduced around the country in an attempt to censor whistleblowers, investigators, and journalists who expose animal welfare abuses on factory farms and slaughterhouses.
Investigations by groups like the Humane Society, Mercy for Animals, and Compassion Over Killing have exposed shocking animal cruelty and consumer health dangers in the food industry. They have led to the largest meat recall in US history, criminal charges, and international media exposure.
Rather than put a stop to these abuses, corporations are trying to criminalize the whistleblowers who expose them.
Must-read articles about how ag-gag laws affect workers, activists, and journalists:
- First “Ag-Gag†Prosecution: This Utah Woman Filmed a Slaughterhouse from the Public Street
- Big Ag Wants to Rewrite the Law So That You’ll Never See This
- Vice: “Meat the Press”
- FBI Says Activists Who Investigate Factory Farms Can Be Prosecuted as Terrorists
Television and Radio Interviews
- NPR: “States Consider So-Called Ag-Gag Bills”
- Al Jazeera: “Legalizing Animal Abuse?” An interview with Will Potter and Humane Society CEO Wayne Pacelle
- Democracy Now: “Debate:Â After Activists Covertly Expose Animal Cruelty, Should They Be Targeted With ‘Ag-Gag’ Laws?”
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and ag-gag:
Examples of ag-gag legislation:
- Indiana Bill Would Make It Illegal to Expose Factory Farms, Clearcutting and Fracking
- New Ag-Gag Bill Introduced in North Carolina on Same Day Butterball Worker Pleads Guilty to Cruelty
- California Ag-Gag Bill Exempts Factory Farms That Accidentally Record Their Own Abuses
Undercover Investigators Speak Out:
- Interview with an Undercover Investigator Who Risks Arrest Under New “Ag Gag†Laws
- Democracy Now: “Undercover Activist Details Secret Filming of Animal Abuse & Why ‘Ag-Gag’ Laws May Force Him to Stop”
–> Sign the petition at Change.org/AgGag!
Here is a full list of recent articles about ag-gag bills: