A U.S. District Court judge has ruled North Carolina’s “ag-gag” law as unconstitutional and in violation of the First Amendment.
The law in question is called the Property Protection Act and was effective as of January 2016. The law protected an owner or operator of a business from undercover individuals who photographed or videoed the premises without permission and with the intent to do harm.
Chief Judge Thomas D. Schroeder said the bill “does not adequately protect or give clear guidance to honest employees who uncover criminal activity.”
The veto message continued, “I am concerned that subjecting these employees to potential civil penalties will create an environment that discourages them from reporting illegal activities.”
The ruling was a win for the animal activist organizations involved in the suit: PETA, Center for Food Safety, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Farm Sanctuary, Food and Water Watch, Government Accountability Project, Farm Forward, and ASPCA.
