Missouri’s Ag-Gag Bill Met with Opposition in House

On Tuesday, the Missouri House of Representatives voted to advance a bill that would criminalize the act of gaining access to farms under false pretenses—though the measure has been met with internal opposition. In an unprecedented move, Rep. Tracy McCreery attempted to counter the legislation with an amendment that would have prohibited Missouri from purchasing food from states with ag-gag laws on the books. McCreery’s proposed amendment was based on Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Protect Your Food campaign, a grassroots effort to combat ag-gag bills using food safety and consumer welfare as a legislative framework. Though McCreery’s amendment didn’t pass upon its initial introduction, the independent representative hopes to file the act again later this year.