New legislation proposed in Minnesota attempts to crack down on activists who have exposed repeated animal welfare violations. Among its provisions, the bill targets anyone who documents an image or sound of animal suffering in a sweeping list of animal facilities, including factory farms, animal experimentation labs, and puppy mills.

If this bill becomes law, anyone caught going undercover to document animal abuses at a factory farm could be sentenced to five years in jail.

In a clear conflict of interest, the bill was introduced by six Republicans, including Representative Rod Hamilton, the past president of the Minnesota Pork Producers, and a current member.

This act means that activists dedicated to exposing animal abuses are themselves in danger of being labeled criminals.

Please sign our petition asking members of the Minnesota House of Representatives not to allow this shameful bill to become law.

We the undersigned are writing to express our alarm at the new anti-whistleblower legislation recently proposed in the Minnesota House of Representatives that targets those people who expose repeated animal welfare violations.

If this bill becomes law, anyone caught going undercover to document animal abuses at a factory farm could be labeled "criminals" and  face five years in jail.

Please do not allow this shameful bill to become law.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.