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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."

8 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 nitehawk214 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Replace "cows" with "corporations".

      Sounds like a great idea. Should make working at a slaughterhouse more appealing.

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      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
  3. Bad logic again from a representative... by Volante3192 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If the company is adhering to the rules of the law, they wouldn't have to worry about being defamed by people who lied to be hired and then made covert video tapes.

    What about THAT side of the argument, Annette Sweeney, farmer and Republican legislator?

  4. Some american tell me by unity100 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    why is it that always republicans are behind the gravest, dastardliest shit, and they are behind less dastardly shit with a democrat close to their aisle ?

    a while ago, i heard that mccain and 30 other republican senators opposed a bill which would prevent companies from putting clauses into their contracts that would prevent female employees from suing the company if they were raped in company's employ overseas by company employees. that included john mccain, the presidential candidate. the justification was 'we think it is wrong to tell businesses how to do business'. so, its ok if a company legislates rape in its overseas operations by putting a clause in its contracts ?

    what the fuck is wrong with republicans ?

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    Read radical news here
    1. Re:Some american tell me by guspasho · · Score: 5, Interesting

      When it comes down to stopping rape or protecting business, those guys chose business. That shows you how sociopathic they are.

    2. Re:Some american tell me by s73v3r · · Score: 5, Interesting

      a while ago, i heard that mccain and 30 other republican senators opposed a bill which would prevent companies from putting clauses into their contracts that would prevent female employees from suing the company if they were raped in company's employ overseas by company employees. that included john mccain, the presidential candidate. the justification was 'we think it is wrong to tell businesses how to do business'. so, its ok if a company legislates rape in its overseas operations by putting a clause in its contracts ?

      It wasn't even a regulation. It was just a restriction placed on government agencies saying that they couldn't spend money on contractors who did this. It wasn't stopping the contractors from actually doing it if they really wanted to, it was just the government "voting with its wallet" that they didn't want to support companies that did.

  5. 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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