Idaho Bill Would Jail Animal Activists Caught Using Hidden Cameras
Legislators in Idaho are holding hearings today to determine the fate of
a tough new bill which could have animal activists facing jail time if
they carry out hidden camera investigations on farms.
Citing undercover footage taken at a dairy farm that aired last year on
ABC News "Nightline" – which showed horrific abuse of cows – Idaho
legislators have highlighted an issue that has heated up in recent
years, pitting animal-rights groups against American farmers and raising
the debate on First Amendment rights.
"It's true, it has put us against each other," Idaho Senator Jim
Patrick, the bill's sponsor, told ABC News. "There are groups that
without due process of law, take the videos across the country and
intend to destroy the business."
Patrick says famers don't condone animal abuse but felt the need to
protect their private property against being "set up" by rights groups.
"These are all family farms here," he said. "We just think it's wrong."
If passed, the measure would put anyone caught surreptitiously recording
video inside an agriculture operation in jail for a year. There is also
a $5000 fine.
In the case of the Idaho farm being cited in the debate, an activist
working undercover for the group Mercy for Animals recorded brutal abuse
of cows at Bettencourt Dairies in 2012, including beating and shocking
them. The video was turned over to local law enforcement and criminal
charges were brought against three employees. One pleaded guilty to
misdemeanor animal cruelty.
The Bettencourt case and the issue of legislation intended to thwart the efforts of animal-rights groups were featured in a "Nightline" investigation and on "World News with David Muir" last year.
Luis Bettencourt told ABC News' Brian Ross in 2013 that threats were
made against him and his family after Mercy For Animals released the
undercover video.
"They turned it around on [Bettencourt] and turned social media against
him and then went after his market," said Bob Naerebout of the Idaho
Dairymen's Association. "It went way beyond what they say was their
agenda."
Mercy For Animals calls the proposed Idaho legislation a "blatant
violation of free speech" and a "desperate attempt to sweep evidence of
animal cruelty under the rug."
"This ag-gag bill sends a clear message: Idaho's dairy industry has a
lot to hide," Nathan Runkle, the group's founder, told ABC News.
"They know that their hideously cruel practices can't stand the light of day or the heat of public scrutiny."
It's the latest in what has become a contentious, personal battle
between farmers and animal activists. While the agriculture industry has
called animal welfare groups "terrorists" who trespass in an attempt to
ruin American farms, the groups, including The Humane Society of the
United States, say these investigations have resulted in countless law
enforcement actions over the years. Activists say the videos have also
brought to light widespread food safety concerns.
In 2008, undercover video recorded by HSUS at a Chino, California
slaughterhouse revealed how diseased, or "downer," cows were being used
for beef sold to consumers in grocery stores. That investigation led to
the country's largest-ever meat recall and a state law banning the use
of such downed cattle.
Just last week, workers at a Wisconsin dairy farm in the supply chain for DiGiorno's Pizza were changed with 11 counts of criminal animal cruelty, following the release of undercover video by Mercy For Animals depicting brutal treatment of cows.
Patrick says the bill in Idaho is meant to also strengthen animal
cruelty laws in the state. But, he adds, farmers are also concerned
about food safety issues when activists gain access to their facilities.
"The Department of Homeland Security has said some of these groups are
equal to Al Qaeda. We want to make sure our food security is not at
risk," he said.
The fight against so-called ag-gag legislation has gained both publicity
and momentum recently. 11 states introduced legislation last year
alone, and activists called 2013 a tipping point in what they deemed a
full-scale assault on their most powerful investigative tool. In the
end, not a single bill passed.
Four states, including Idaho, have already considered some form of
"ag-gag" legislation in 2014; lawmakers in Arizona, New Hampshire and
Indiana also introduced bills this year.
There are laws on the books in six states, including Iowa, where it is a
crime to get hired at a farm under false pretenses. That law passed in
2012, just a few months after an ABC News report that featured undercover video showing inhumane and unsanitary conditions at a large egg factory.
Undercover activists have vowed to continue reporting on conditions
inside American farms, despite the push to keep them out. The activist
who documented the abuse of cows at Bettencourt Dairies told ABC News last year the public needs these videos more than ever.
"Most members of the public don't understand what we're doing. They
think we're just running around filming things and throwing it up on
YouTube," he said. "These are criminal investigations."
The Idaho bill is expected to be voted on in the House next week.
Naerebout says the farming community is anxious for change. "We cannot
continue to have that exposure without protection."