As pro-factory farm legislators in Iowa work to pass laws that would criminalize whistleblowers and shield factory farms from public scrutiny, Iowans are coming out in force against these outrageous bills. A few days ago, the Des Moines Register ran an editorial titled “Reporting Facts Not A Crime,” stating, “This restraint of free speech cannot be squared with either the U.S. or the Iowa constitutions.”The editorial continues, “The government should not have the power to penalize anyone for publishing or distributing information on issues of public concern. The law should allow the people to see what happens in these facilities and to judge for themselves whether what goes on is right or wrong.”
Luckily, most people agree. According to a recent survey, the majority of Iowans oppose these ludicrous bills. But that may not be enough to stop them from becoming law. Please take a moment to fill out this form and contact Iowa’s legislators to politely urge them to vote against this dangerous effort to protect factory farmers from public scrutiny. If this proposed legislation does pass, it will set a dangerous precedent that would allow factory farms to operate in the shadows with impunity, while threatening human health, the environment and animal welfare.