say "NO" to IL SB-1532, The AG-GAG Bill

Back in 1906 American journalist and novelist Upton Sinclair wrote a book entitled "The Jungle". Sinclair was considered a muckraker, or journalist who exposed corruption in government and the meatpacking industry. Armies of Big Ag lobbyists are pushing for new state-level laws across the country to keep us all in the dark. Less restrictive versions have been law in some states since the 1980s, but the meat industry has ratcheted up a radical new campaign. They want to silence the Upton Sinclair's of 2013.
This wave of “ag-gag” bills would criminalize whistleblowers, investigators, and journalists who expose animal welfare abuses at factory farms and slaughterhouses. Ten states considered “ag-gag” bills last year, and Iowa, Missouri, and Utah approved them. Let's not let this happen in Illinois. The problem for corporations is that when people have information, they act on it. An informed public is the biggest threat to business as usual. This bill raise questions about the protection of journalists and newsgathering; it raises serious questions about consumer safety, about animal welfare and environmental violations, and we think people need to be asking “what is it that Big Agriculture is trying to hide?”