BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Veteran game-show host and animal activist Bob Barker is asking Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter to veto a bill that jails people who secretly film animal abuse at Idaho’s agricultural facilities.
Barker in the letter on Thursday tells Otter that more than a dozen other states have rejected similar bills, and it could damage Idaho’s image among consumers across the nation.
Barker refers to himself as a lifelong Republican, and says it’s crucial for police to have access to everything they need to enforce the law. He wrote the letter on behalf of the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
If Otter signs the bill, anyone who films or records on an agricultural operation without permission will face up to a year in jail. That’s double the maximum penalty for animal cruelty under Idaho law.
Barker hosted “The Price Is Right” from 1972 to 2007.
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