Victory! Idaho's 'Ag-Gag' Law Declared Unconstitutional

Victory! Idaho’s ‘Ag-Gag’ Law Declared Unconstitutional

Published August 3, 2015 by PETA Staff. Last Updated August 20, 2024.

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In a landmark victory, the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho has struck down Idaho’s “ag-gag” law, deeming it unconstitutional.

VICTORY! Idaho #AgGag law ruled unconstitutional. Because abuse should be EXPOSED, not hidden: http://t.co/XviP1dwcx5 pic.twitter.com/dtnQNVL9L2
— PETA (@peta) August 3, 2015

PETA worked with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho, and the Center for Food Safety to challenge the law, and the court determined that it violates the First and 14^th amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantee the right to free speech and to protection from state laws that infringe on personal freedom, respectively. The decision marks the first time that a court has declared an “ag-gag” statute unconstitutional.

“Ag-gag” laws are notoriously not supported by the public. Nationwide, 32 similar measures have failed to pass state legislatures. Currently, seven states have “ag-gag” laws on the books, and PETA is working to get those overturned as well.