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California has pulled its proposed ‘lab-gag’ bill from consideration, in what animal-rights organizations describe as a ‘victory’ for the state.
‘Outright opposition’
California State Assembly Member, Laura Friedman, has revoked the proposal she introduced citing “outright opposition to the bill,” after receiving pressure from animal-rights organizations.
If passed, the Assembly Bill 700 would have allowed public universities to ‘conceal’ animal tests conducted in their laboratories, exempting them from California’s transparency laws.
‘Hiding the sad reality’
“People have a right to know what happens to animals inside laboratories, and the only way to have meaningful conversations around the issue of animal experimentation is to first have a thorough understanding of what is happening to animals in labs with taxpayer dollars,” said Animal-rights organization NEAVS.
“Assembly member Friedman ought to be increasing transparency in labs, not further hiding the sad reality happening behind the cage doors.”
While PETA, who claims the bill, if passed, would have ‘made it nearly impossible to stop violations of the law or to rescue laboratory survivors’ said: “If AB 700 is reintroduced next year, we will once again lead the fervent opposition to it—and we’ll push to stop any similar ‘lab-gag’ bills anywhere else in the future.”
