© 2024 WFAE
90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Court Restores Lawsuit Against North Carolina "Ag-Gag" Law

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is resurrecting a lawsuit by animal-rights groups against a North Carolina law that discourages undercover investigations at farms and other workplaces. 

A federal judge had dismissed the suit.  But the appeals court ruled Tuesday People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals and other groups have alleged a reasonable fear that the law seeks to punish investigations that uncover illegal and unethical conduct. 
 
North Carolina is one of about a half-dozen states with laws targeting surreptitious recordings in agricultural settings.  Federal courts have struck down so-called "ag-gag" laws in Utah and Idaho in the past year as violations of free speech.
 

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.