To: The Pennsylvania State House

NO on HB683

PA House Bill 683 was referred to your committee Feb. 12, 2013

It will limit whistle-blowing, and keep the public unaware of food safety problems, animal abuse and poor/dangerous working conditions on factory farms. It's benefit to our food safety and farm workers is unclear.

Please voted NO on HB683. Thank you for your time.

Why is this important?

Honorable Members of the PA State House Judiciary Committee

PA House Bill 683 was referred to your committee Feb. 12, 2013

PA House Bill 683 (HB683: Haluska, Metzgar, Barrar, M. K. Keller, Hess, Moul, Fleck, C. Harris And Murt, February 12, 2013), like similar legislation in other US states, is not well-thought out. It will limit whistle-blowing, and keep the public unaware of food safety problems, animal abuse and poor/dangerous working conditions on factory farms. It's benefit to our food safety and farm workers is unclear.

Remember the 2008 investigation of a dairy cow slaughter plant in Chino, California? It prompted the largest meat recall in U.S. history, identified fraud on the federal government’s school lunch program, and resulted in criminal convictions. HB683 would criminalize only the workers who expose such crimes. HB683 would do nothing to protect We The People from the cruelty, contaminants, and fraud.

Further, with the increase in gas drilling in PA, HB683 is doubly troubling: Line 9 on page 1 defines the proposed second and third degree felonies as those "Interfering with agricultural operations." But 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.

Please voted NO on HB683. Thank you for your time.