Indiana Introduces First Ag-Gag Bill of the Year

Last year, 11 bills that would make undercover factory farm investigations illegal were introduced throughout the country, but an outpouring of protest from the public and the mainstream media spurred politicians to dismiss the proposed statutes. Now, Indiana lawmakers have introduced another piece of legislation that would once again hinder the efforts of the animal-rights movement by criminalizing the investigations that have brought abusive farm workers to justice and helped usher in food system reform. “If the meat industry continues to push for these anti-whistleblower bills, it will continue to erode the public’s trust,” says Paul Shapiro, vice president of the Humane Society of the United States’ farm animal protection group. According to the HSUS, a coalition has been formed made up of civil rights, food safety, animal welfare, and media groups, that would urge the state legislature to reject the bill, if the legislation is passed.