News: Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act

Today I came across the best news for which I have been waiting for some years now.

Finally on Sep 8, 2006 the U.S. Government signed the “Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act”, sponsored by the hon. Senator James M. Inhofe (R-OK) and 10 other Senators of the U.S. Congress, into public law. The bill passed in the Senate by Unanimous Consent of all present.

With this bill the U.S. government has a long overdue law to combat the home grown terrorism of animal rights activist such as the ALF (Animal Liberation Front) and their sponsors PETA.

In the following I leave you with the following summary of the new law provided by the Congressional Research Service, which is a government entity that serves Congress and is run by the Library of Congress.

11/13/2006--Passed House without amendment.
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on September 30, 2006. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act - Amends the federal criminal code to revise criminal prohibitions against damaging or interfering with the operations of an animal enterprise to include intentional damage or loss to any real or personal property and intentional threats of death or serious bodily injury against individuals (or their family members, spouses, or intimate partners) who are involved with animal enterprises. Expands such crime to include conspiracies and attempts. Revises and increases monetary and criminal penalties for such crime.
Modifies the definition of "animal enterprise" to include: (1) an enterprise that uses or sells animals or animal products for profit for educational purposes; and (2) an animal shelter, pet store, breeder, or furrier.
Provides that expressive conduct (including picketing or other peaceful demonstration) protected by the First Amendment is not prohibited by this Act.

I am very pleased to see that this law, which I among many others, have sponsored for so many years. This law will give protection against violent animal rights terrorist to Zoos, Circuses, Animal Parks, Farmers and Pet breeders to name a few from a long list of professions and enterprises depending on animals to make a living. This law is also good news for hunters and fishers that are often the target of violent animal rights activists. This new law goes much further than the anti hunter harassment laws that some states signed to protect hunters against animal rights activists. While the anti harassment laws are only good in the states that signed into law, the “Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act” is a federal law.

You can contact Senator James M. Inhofe (R-OK), a fellow outdoorsman and hunter, here to let him know how much you appreciate it that he stood up for our rights as hunters and animal owners. He deserves a pad on the back from all of us.