Bill banning undercover animal abuse videos clears committee in Iowa senate by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris
A proposed law that under some circumstances would make it a felony to shoot secret footage or photos of animal abuse on Iowa farms has cleared the state senate’s Agriculture Committee and next goes up for debate on the senate floor.
The Iowa legislature website reported that yesterday the committee recommended passage with no amendments of House File (HF) 589, “a bill for an act relating to offenses involving agricultural operations, and providing penalties and remedies.”
Animal welfare groups shoot secret video and photographs Photo: Compassion Over Killing
Rep. Annette Sweeney, chief sponsor of HF 589, said in a phone interview today that the bill “will go to the senate floor for debate and hopefully passage. Hopefully that will happen maybe sometime next week.”
Sweeney said that the bill would require anyone who wanted to video or photograph what they believe might be animal abuse at an animal agriculture facility--including employees of the facility--to first obtain permission from a sheriff, county supervisor, or other local authority.
Please note: Concerned citizens from outside the state may express opinions to Iowa legislators, but it is recommended that they identify themselves as non-Iowans when writing or calling.
Read Undercover photographers to be punished worse than the animal abusers they film
Please check this page again soon for more on this topic, including interviews with the following:
Iowa Rep. Annette Sweeney
Iowa Rep. Jim Lykam
Kevin Vinchattle, CEO, Iowa Poultry Association
Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO, The Humane Society of the United States
Nathan Runkle, Founder and Executive Director, Mercy for Animals
Erica Meier, Executive Director, Compassion Over Killing
