April 19, 2012

Agriculture Industry Gives Missouri Lawmakers $1 Million, They Give It Bill To Ban Filming Farm Abuse

What is the industry trying to hide with its "Ag Gag" bills?

Posted at 3:00 pm by Zaid Jilani

All over the country, the agriculture industry is pushing “Ag Gag” bills that would criminalize people who take undercover videos at factory farms to expose the abuse of animals and unsanitary conditions that could sicken people.

On Tuesday, the Missouri House of Representatives passed an “Ag Gag” bill. Rep. Casey Guernsey (R), the chief sponsor of the bill and a cattle farmer, said that it was needed to “protect an industry that drives the economy in this state,” basically openly admitting that he was pushing the bill on behalf of the industry.

According to records from the National Institute on Money In State Politics, the agriculture industry spent more than $1 million on campaign contributions since 2010. Unsurprisingly, Guernsey’s top donor in his 2010 campaign was Smithfield Foods.

Utah and Iowa were the other states that most recently signed their own version of “Ag Gag” bills into law. If the industry continues to get its way, Missouri will be next.

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Legalpropaganda

Where are the members of Congress who voted to commend the undercover filming of ACORN offices by James O’Keefe? The powerful CIR is providing O’Keefe pro bono defense on First Amendment grounds in a civil lawsuit. The defense has argued O’Keefes rights as a journalist trump CA privacy laws. So where are they now?

CatKinNY

I would love to see an investigative journalist go to work on a factory farm in one of these states and document illegal/unsafe/unsanitary conditions (how about video of a stumbling, disoriented cow – indicative of mad cow disease), publicize the hell out of it and get arrested. Let’s take it all the way to SCOTUS and see if the right wing, probusiness cabal on the court would put the ‘right’ of factory farms to hide their misdeeds ahead of the public health and a free press. There are a hell of a lot of stupid voters who regularly put the interests of big business and the very wealthy ahead of their own interests in this country, but even they might balk at evidence that big business routinely puts profits ahead of the health and safety of their children, and only sadistic sociopaths enjoy watching film of terrible cruelty, no matter what the species being abused.

R Andrew Ohge

Only Criminals seek to keep their activities secret.
Sharon Daleo

Our whole government is broken and corrupt. Fighting this corruption, one problem at a time, is a good start. What everyone needs to realize is that capitalism has turned into fascism in our country. The short definition of fascism is when corporations take over our government.
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Eliza

I won’t buy any meat in the grocery store chains anymore. I don’t trust the quality and safety of the meat. I wait until organic and locally grown meats go on sale (which is the same as the regular price of meat at the chain stores). I try to support the small local farmers when ever possible or I don’t buy meat at all.
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Rbillings

https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5403&s_src=blogad050412b

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