'Ag Gag' Bill fails to pass the smell test

I get the animal rights concerns voiced by Robin Helm and Bev Hatch.

I agree.

But I am appalled by the potential health hazards the “Ag Gag” bill poses to me, my family, and my friends. There are too many national news stories about E. coli-tainted beef, ranging from a million to 25 million pounds per recall. It’s serious when you consider that a single pound of hamburger can contain the parts of as many as a hundred animals.

Don’t we have a right to know? Yet the federal government no longer tells us where this bad beef originated or what stores and restaurants serve it. Under “Ag Gag,” workers can be prosecuted for documenting unsanitary conditions, sick animals that are added to our food supplies, or unsafe working conditions.

What a bunch of bull. Instead of producing a product they are proud of, the industry hides behind ill-conceived legislation and infringes upon our rights to communicate, discuss, and know about issues that affect our health and safety.

I am beefed that “Ag Gag” is just bad business.

BRENDA DAILY

Sagle