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Iowa Rejects Video Privacy Protection For Cows

Posted by timothy on from the emootional-distress dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that an effort to outlaw the undercover recording of animal abuse in livestock operations appears to have stalled in Iowa after previously failing in Minnesota, Florida and New York, with the pushback coming from citizens and activists complaining that the proposals were aimed at protecting an industry that doesn't exhibit enough concern for farm animal welfare. A bill introduced earlier this year to criminalize the actions of activists who make unauthorized hidden videos of animal abuse appeared to be headed for approval in the Iowa Legislature, with proposed penalties including fines of up to $7,500 and up to five years in prison. 'I feel it is wrong to absolutely lie to get a job to try to defame the employer,' says Iowa representative Annette Sweeney, a farmer and Republican legislator who sponsored the bill. But District Attorney James R. Horton, who filed animal cruelty charges against employees and the owner of a large-scale calf-raising farm, says he probably 'wouldn't have a case' if not for covert video provided by an animal protection group, and that 'we wouldn't have anything' in terms of evidence against the suspects in the beating deaths of dairy calves at E6 Cattle Co."

6 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. However - if they have video evidence - defame ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I wonder though - if they have good video evidence. Is it really defamation ?
     

  2. Only in the US... by pitchpipe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... do we try to enact privacy laws for cows, all the while emasculating or eliminating entirely the privacy laws for humans. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U...

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    Look where all this talking got us, baby.
    1. Re:Only in the US... by rolfwind · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Replace "cows" with "corporations".

    2. Re:Only in the US... by iluvcapra · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's important to know the name of your chicken before you eat it.

      What's funny is that common sense tells us that its obviously risible that people would care about the humane treatment of an animal, when it's just going to get its brains blasted out by a captive bolt gun, but when people do see videos of feedlots with cowshit up the cow's knees, or pigs getting gutted on an assembly line while alive and conscious, they get really upset. And justifiably.

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      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
  3. Re:However - if they have video evidence - defame by speedplane · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Iowa already has defamation laws. So if it really were defamation, they could already sue the activists. They don't need any new laws.

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    Fast Federal Court and I.T.C. updates
  4. Re:Uh... by speedplane · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Does stabbing them with pitch-forks and gouging out their eyes help the meat taste better? What about when they slaughter cows that are too sick to walk? Yummy! The crap documented on these farms isn't just slapping a few cows around. It would shock any meat-eater and these activists are doing excellent work.

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    Fast Federal Court and I.T.C. updates