Last week, the governor of Iowa signed a law making it illegal to fill out a job application with the intent of secretly recording animal abuse at a farming operation.

Unfortunately, undercover work of the kind the Iowa law seeks to criminalize is often the only tool activists have for exposing widespread cruelty on factory farms. For instance, a recent Mercy for Animals investigation of Sparboe Farms, a leading egg producer, not only brought numerous factory farm abuses to the public’s attention, but also prompted McDonald’s and Target to drop Sparboe as a supplier. If more laws like Iowa’s are passed (similar legislation has been considered in seven other states), investigations like these could be a thing of the past. If that happens, animals will continue to suffer, and the public will remain in the dark.

The Iowa law would expose courageous activists who are simply trying to reveal the truth about animal abuse to misdemeanor charges carrying a sentence of up to one year in prison and a $1,500 fine.

Please inform yourself about these “ag gag” laws, and speak out if they attempt to pass one in your state.