Proposed PA. State Law Would Make it a Felony to Film Anything That Happens on a Farm (fracking too)

[JPZenger]

Last edited Mon Mar 11, 2013, 01:24 PM - Edit history (2)

http://srs444.blogspot.com/2013/03/pa-hb-683-bloggers-beware.html

Everyday I'm more amazed by the things that come out of the PA. Legislature. Yes, there are many good members, but they are shut out of any meaningful decision-making.

The above Bill would make it illegal to film anything that happens on a farm or any property used for agriculture and then post it on them internets without permission of the property-owner. That would not only include people trying to document abuse of animals, but also could include any fracking operations, spills, or contamination that occurs on a property that happens to also be farmed.

Of course, this is based upon a model bill provided by ALEC, the home of all unoriginal bad legislation.

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A second Bill that is supposed to come up for a vote in the PA. Senate today would protect the fracking industry from many types of legal and environmental liability. The Bill supposedly is aimed to encourage frackers to use waters that are already contaminated by mine waste., which probably makes sense. However, it is written SO BROADLY that the frackers may not have ANY liability at any point in an operation or afterwards - as long as a fracker finds some acid mine water to use in part of their operation.

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More on the farm video bill at:

http://www.donnan.com/blog_No-cow-photos.htm



http://blog.shaleshockmedia.org/2013/03/07/arresting-monet-ag-gag-pennsylvania-house-bill-683/

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/campaigns/factory_farming/fact-sheets/ag_gag.html

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ag-gag_laws

http://www.damascuscitizensforsustainability.org/2013/03/say-no-to-pa-house-bill-683/

Excerpt: "Lines 9-11 on page 3 too broadly define “Agricultural operations” as “Any public or private property where an agricultural activity or farming is conducted or takes place.” This includes the sites of much of PA’s gas drilling, storage and transfer activities. Citizen activism is an increasingly important tool for We The People to find out about gas-related crimes and pollution. HB683 would seemingly outlaw reporting on these threats to our air, water and dirt."

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By the way, under current PA. law, if you secretly make a video of someone who is undressing in a locker room and post it on the web, it is only a third degree misdemeanor. If you make a video of a calf that is being abused, or a leaking fracking facility on a farm, it would be a FELONY under this proposed law.

http://www.ndaa.org/pdf/voyeurism_statutes_mar_09.pdf

[Champion Jack]

1. This is insanity

[woodsprite]

2. Wonder if Lancaster County would take a tourist hit on that one. n/t

[MadrasT]

3. What a bunch of horseshit. Are they nuts?

Our legislature is a batshit crazy band of thugs and thieves.

And if you have to worry about a leaked video making your farming operation look bad, I'm thinking you're doing it wrong.

[malthaussen]

4. Read about this for another state awhile ago.

As the OP suggests, I think this is just RW boilerplate stuff. It's all a part of the concerted program to Make America Safe for Rich White Boys.

-- Mal

[Curmudgeoness]

5. If (and I think this is a big if) this becomes law,

I would volunteer to take and post pictures to test that law. It could never hold up in court.

[ShadowLiberal]

6. Not to mention the publicity would likely make the state & people in the picture look even worse

If the idiots are dumb enough to try to enforce a law like this it'll just bring more media attention to the 'illegal' pictures, having the exact opposite intended effect.

Also, the state and prosecutors would also come off looking really bad and in the pockets of the bad guys.

And then there's the whole freedom of speech thing. Courts have been starting to push back on bogus prosecutions of people for filming cops, even giving big punitive fines to the police in some case for false arrest and violating of first amendment rights.

[wtfisgoingon83]

7. Wake up please

Does anyone realize that laws are always passed to protect the corporations who feed a lawmakers pockets. Americans have been without jobs for so long this is why so many of these are becoming successful, they see the quick dollar because it has been hard to come by for awhile. Where are those laws for those who publicly protest over illegal immigrants rights? Because there is no one giving lawmakers money behind close doors for that law to be passed.

What crimes are considered a criminal misdemeanor in PA?

Some of the most common Pennsylvania misdemeanor crimes are: Simple Assault, Involuntary Manslaughter, Harassment by Telephone Communication, Prostitution, Disorderly conduct, False Reports to Law Enforcement Authorities, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Deviate Sexual Intercourse, Luring A Child into a Motor Vehicle,Terroristic Threats, Minor Theft, and Sexual or Physical Abuse.

This information was taken from a Law firms website defining what examples of misdemeanors they defend people for in PA.
Does anyone else see a problem with this?

If anyone in PA reads this y'all need to come together and put an end to this, it called the power of democracy, you know the thing that are politicians have allowed countless service members to die for trying to stuff down other countries throat. When the lowest person realizes that they are government laws like this and destroyers of our land that we say we love so much won't exist.