California Ag-Gag Bill Withdrawn by Bill’s Sponsor

California is the third state to recently block an ag-gag bill from advancing; the bill would have made it illegal for undercover investigators to document animal abuse on farms. Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, introduced the California bill that originally would have required footage or evidence of animal abuse be turned over to the police within 48 hours of documenting it, but Patterson, facing much criticism from animal-welfare activists, amended the time frame to 120 hours. Three hours before hearings were supposed to take place regarding the bill, Patterson killed it knowing he would not have enough votes for it to pass through the committee. “Sanity prevailed in Sacramento today,” said state director for The Humane Society of the United States Jennifer Fearing to the Associated Press.