That "silly" FLA GOP law criminalizing taking photos or video of farms? This is what it's about

[highplainsdem]

And, not surprisingly, ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council) is apparently involved.

The law sounded like a joke at first, but as is so often the case with GOP legislation, it's all about protecting businesses' profits and hiding corrupt practices.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kurt-friese/the-factory-farm-environm_b_835432.html

(also at http://www.kurtfriese.com/?p=441)

Kurt Michael Friese
Chef, Author, Advocate
Posted: March 14, 2011 12:28 PM

The Factory Farm Environmental Degradation and Animal Cruelty Protection Act


Remember all those videos you've seen lately depicting various forms of animal cruelty and other heinous practices in some large agribusiness facilities? Here's one I told you about last year. In Florida, the newly ensconced legislature is about to make the production of such videos a felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Had this bill been in force a few years ago, it might well have been used to put all the people behind the famous documentary Food, Inc. in prison.

The bill, filed as SB 1246 by Florida state senator Jim Norman, (R-Tampa), is likely to pass both houses of the Republican led legislature and be signed by Gov. Rick Scott.

While no one condones breaking and entering or trespass, this bill is clearly not meant to address that. It may as well be titled "The Factory Farm Environmental Degradation and Animal Cruelty Protection Act." It's sole purpose is to prevent the embarrassment and public exposure of the uglier side of American agriculture. They want to make sure that the only story you see or hear is the bucolic rolling hills and Old-MacDonald image that large agribusiness and their lobbyists want you to see.

-snip-

As my friend Chris Bedford pointed out recently,

"This development (perhaps part of a larger American Legislative Exchange Council ALEC initiative) in and of itself does not signal the end of anything. But proposals like this one and Michigan's HB 4306 (which mandates privatization of non-classroom school functions including food service) should be seen in the context of the larger push back against the local food revolution... that will be at the heart of the Farm Bill 2012 debate."

-snip-

This is the bill:

http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/1246/BillText/Filed/HTML

12-01071A-11 20111246__
A bill to be entitled
An act relating to farms; prohibiting a person from
entering onto a farm or photographing or video
recording a farm without the owner’s written consent;
providing a definition; providing penalties; providing
an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

Section 1. (1) A person who enters onto a farm or other
property where legitimate agriculture operations are being
conducted without the written consent of the owner, or an
authorized representative of the owner, commits a felony of the
first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083,
or s. 775.084, Florida Statutes.
(2) A person who photographs, video records, or otherwise
produces images or pictorial records, digital or otherwise, at
or of a farm or other property where legitimate agriculture
operations are being conducted without the written consent of
the owner, or an authorized representative of the owner, commits
a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.
775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, Florida Statutes.
(3) As used in this section, the term “farm” includes any
tract of land cultivated for the purpose of agricultural
production, the raising and breeding of domestic animals, or the
storage of a commodity.
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.

Friese's piece refers to his friend Chris Bedford, a filmmaker:

http://www.chrisbedfordfilms.com/

Link to Bedford's letter, from which Friese quoted one paragraph:

http://www.nwfoodfight.org/2011/03/illegal-photographs-and-the-future-of-the-farm-bill/

In Florida, State Senator Jim Norman has introduced SB 1246 to make “photographing farming activities from the air or from a roadside” a First Degree Felony, punishable with up to 30 years in prison. This bill has the support of the Florida Farm Bureau and its 140,000 members statewide.

The new Florida state government — all Republican — with Rick Scott as Governor and a 70% majority in the State Senate and a 67.5% majority in the State House of Representatives — took power last Thursday (March 10th). This means if Republicans can agree on a piece of legislation, it will be law unless it can be proven through the courts to be unconstitutional (a lengthy process). Sen. Norman’s proposed legislation could have put the film makers of “Food, Inc.” in jail.

This development (perhaps part of a larger American Legislative Exchange Council ALEC initiative) in and of itself does not signal the end of anything. But proposals like this one and Michigan’s HB 4306 (which mandates privatization of non-classroom school functions including food service) should be seen in the context of the larger push back against the local food revolution that will be at the heart of the Farm Bill 2012 debate.

-snip-

I haven't been able to discover yet whether Jim Norman is a member of ALEC.

But it didn't take any time at all, using Google, to discover he's so unethical that many voters in his district made it clear they'd vote for anyone but him:

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/nov/16/160953/anti-norman-write-ins-go-for-carl-crawford-peter-p/news-politics/

Resentment among Hillsborough County voters over revelations that a community activist gave $500,000 to Norman's wife to purchase a lakefront house in Arkansas resulted in a host of write-in names – all on the losing end.

The elections supervisor only counted votes for the two legally qualified write-in candidates, but the random selection shows the lion's share of unofficial write-in votes went to Norman's primary opponent Kevin Ambler and Rob Wallace, nominated by Republicans to replace Norman before a state appeals court put him back on the ballot.

Several voters wrote "anyone but Jim Norman" or "not voting" or the age-old "none of the above."

Among the more humorous write-ins: comedian Stephen Colbert; Harry Potter character Voldemort, and Kermit the Frog. One voter used the space to take a swipe at Norman: "My cat is more ethical."

Here are some of the names written in by District 12 voters:

Alfred E. Newman
Jesus Christ
Peter Pan
Someone honest
Bubba the Love Sponge
Pepe Le Pew
Stephen Colbert
Joe Redner
Dick Greco
Bernie Madoff
Pee Wee Herman
Pam Iorio
Donald Duck (one person wrote the less formal, Don Duck)
Mickey Mouse
John Doe
Fred Karl
Kermit the Frog
Ken Hagan
Joe Madden
Dick Greco
Ralph Nader
Daffy Duck
Bill Clinton
Harry Truman
Voldemort
Glenn Beck
Honest Abe
Fidel Castro
Jimmy Buffett
Carl Crawford
Santa Claus
Charlie Crist

[rfranklin]

1. How did Jack Mehoff miss this one?

Used tobe you would see his name everywhere!

[JuniperLea]

2. Protecting animal cruelty...

They really do go too far.

[Scuba]

4. Very good bet. n/t

[Stargazer99]

3. The god of Republican Conservatives is MAMMON

this nation under conservative Republicans are as horrible as Nazi Germany. The corruption in this nation is hidden under rule of law. Laws are being made to crush morality and common decency. I wonder if it is not time for a civil war with our "superiors".

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

6. Yes, a very civil one with everyone sitting on their asses

not doing anything.

[provis99]

5. yep. More fascism. Is anyone surprised?

I'm betting in ten years democracy will be abolished in America. Congress will pass some sort of "enabling act" for the president.

[onethatcares]

7. norman is so bought and paid for

I'm astounded he's still in office. I think that says more about who counts the ballots than who votes.

Although the last election in Tampa only 12% of eligible voters turned out.

[Dawson Leery]

8. K/R

[jemelanson]

9. So, in Florida, if you are driving down a country road, and spot a

lovely field that happens to be a part of a farm and pull over and take a picture and do not stop at that farm and get permission to take that picture you may be committing a First Degree Felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. So if you come to Florida do not be taking any pictures from the road side least you get a picture of someone's farm and end up a Felon.

So much for small government and freedoms.

[KamaAina]

10. Voldemort '12: Why choose the lesser of two evils?

:evilgrin:

[KamaAina]

11. How is Google Earth supposed to tell whether what it's taking pictures of is a farm?

:shrug:

[Tesha]

12. Just another assinine REPUBLICAN law that will be over-turned the first time someone has the money..

...to actually CHALLENGE it.

They're counting in us not doing so.

It is blatantly unconstitutional to try to regulate what
you may view or photograph from the public way, *ESPECIALLY*
without notice that you're committing a felony.

"FARM -- look away or risk ten years in prison!"

Tesha

[Snoutport]

13. kr