TN Attorney General Calls Ag-Gag Into Question

Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper has deemed the state’s ag-gag bill, which requires anyone recording factory-farm animal abuse to turn in their footage within 48 hours, “constitutionally suspect.” Cooper noted that the proposed legislation doesn’t provide adequate measures to prevent livestock cruelty, it puts forth an “unconstitutional burden on news gathering,” and that it may also violate the fifth amendment, which grants citizens the right not to incriminate themselves. While Tennessee does have similar abuse statutes in place, Cooper asserted that the ag-gag bill differs because it does not grant the person filming the abuse immunity nor confidentiality.