http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/04/1408708/-Idaho-ban-on-undercover-filming-of-farm-abuses-called-unconstitutional-by-federal-judge?detail=email
Republican lawmakers trying to stop animal and agricultural abuse whistleblowers from filming those abuses, took a big hit today as a federal judge struck down Idaho's ban on surreptitious filming of agricultural abuses.
U.S. Chief Judge B. Lynn Winmill of the District of Idaho swept away the state's ban on the grounds that the law violated the 1st Amendment and selectively targeted activists or journalists who might be critical of factory farm practices.
"The effect of the statute will be to suppress speech by undercover investigators and whistleblowers concerning topics of great public importance: the safety of the public food supply, the safety of agricultural workers, the treatment and health of farm animals, and the impact of business activities on the environment," Winmill wrote in a summary judgment.
Ag-gag laws have become all the rage for conservative lawmakers and big business interests, none of whom like having to answer for their terrible, usually illegal and immoral, business practices and lack of quality control. The bill that Judge B. Lynn Winmill struck down had been signed into law this past February—by a Governor named "Butch":
Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter signed a bill threatening people who secretly film animal abuse at Idaho's agricultural facilities with jail and fines.
Otter inked the new law Friday, two days after it cleared its final hurdle in the House.
Otter, a rancher, said the measure promoted by the dairy industry "is about agriculture producers being secure in their property and their livelihood."
Luckily, the Federal court saw through this load of manure. The best part of this decision is that it is the first legal push back on this issue.
The ruling is the first in the country to deem an anti-dairy spying law unconstitutional, said Mathew Liebman of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, one of the lead attorneys on the Idaho case.
The only other similar lawsuit is in Utah, but more are likely to come after Monday's decision, he said. Currently, eight other states have passed some sort of law against such surreptitious filming, even though many more have been introduced in state legislatures.
okay let's go down the list of the usual suspected reasons for censorship,
deregulation, returning to states the the right to do what they want, hiding what they do in the name of getting the gov't off their back, freedom of gov't caring about those who end up buying and consuming the results of their deregulated practices.
bottom line they don't care about we the people it's all about the Benjamin's not about all lives matter yeah it applies across the board especially if the jackpot impacts life and limb and their deliberate lack of consideration for if nothing more the moral factor of not poisoning people who buy you products because soon there will be no market.
bottom line if we don't care who is elected than we deserve what befalls us problem is it affects those of us who do care siding with republicans not only make them our political foe but complicit in their own demise dragging us along on their death wish ride.
do you remember most recently republicans passing a bill that allows not having to publish of food packaging where the food is from or what's in it yeah really looking out for you. still feeling all warm and fuzzy toward your local republican big business whore??????????????????
