The bill was nearly identical to new, sweeping “animal enterprise terrorism” legislation in California. Similar laws have been pushed around the country by right-wing groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (you might remember the Tennessee lawmaker who said “eco-terrorists” are “left-wing eco-greenies”). It’s part of a coordinated campaign to label animal rights and environmental activists as “terrorists” by distorting existing laws and pushing for new ones.
What I found especially interesting about this is that “the State Affairs Committee voted 11-2 to kill HB1078 after committee members said current law already makes it a crime to hurt or harass someone.”
At first blush, that just seems like a no-brainer. But that’s also a very conservative rational. It should be a reminder that folks who are probably unsympathetic to animal or environmental issues (ie: solidly-McCain South Dakota lawmakers) can still reject “eco-terrorism” rhetoric if framed the right way. You don’t have to be vegan, against animal research, or pro direct action to reject a law that duplicates existing laws and singles out one class of people for political purposes.
To be clear, this is a small victory, and there’s a long way to go in not only rejecting new legislation, but repealing existing legislation like the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. But, as I learned firsthand a few months ago: If your house is flooding, the first thing to do is turn off the water."
ORIGINAL SOURCE: Green Is The New Red
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