11/14/06 Humane Treatment of Animals

Humane Treatment of Livestock. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Before adjourning for the mid-term election - the U.S. Senate passed S. 3880 - the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. As Livestock Marketing Association Vice President for Government and Industry Affairs Nancy Robinson explains - the legislation would amend the existing Animal Enterprise Protection Act to address some of the loopholes animal extremist groups have been exploiting. ROBINSON: What we're finding is that basically these extremist groups are using third party targeting in damaging property, using violence or threats of violence against businesses or persons that have a relationship with an animal enterprise. Whether it's a livestock market or a farm or a ranch or a biomedical research facility, it's been important to proceed with trying to fill those loopholes and give the U.S. Attorneys office an ability to more aggressively pursue the extremist activities. These activities - Robinson notes - are actually recognized by the FBI as the single biggest domestic terrorism threat in the U.S. today. That's why she says this legislation is so important to every individual that deals with animals at their operation or facility. Robinson says there's been an increase in the number of terrorist activities by extreme animal rights groups - including a very recent example. ROBINSON: We just saw a proposition passed in Arizona that will limit the use of crates in the raising of hogs and whatever but it should be known that there were threats of violence and coercion against the farmers and ranchers that were opposing that. Fortunately - Robinson says there's a lot of Congressional and farm group support for the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. ROBINSON: It is a bi-partisan bill. It was negotiated through the House and the Senate, there are 45 national Ag and animal organizations supporting it and 75 state organizations and even the ACLU that is typically concerned about first amendment rights and whatever in these kind of issues worked with the on this bill. But that doesn't mean there isn't opposition to the legislation. And that's why Robinson says it's important to get involved - call on members of the House - and urge them to finish work on this bill during the lame duck session. ROBINSON: We need every farmer, rancher, market operator, anyone that deals with animals through their operation or facility to call their member of the House of Representatives and let them know they support S 3880, the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act so that we can complete this action that has support on both sides of the aisle in Congress. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.