House passes bill that would clamp down on animal “crush videos”

The legislation was drafted to exclude selling videos of hunting or fishing in response to Supreme Court concerns about free speech

By Richard Simon, Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Washington — The House on Wednesday passed legislation to make it a federal crime to sell videos depicting animal cruelty in response to a Supreme Court ruling that struck down an earlier version of the law.
Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), the bill’s chief sponsor, said the measure addressed the court’s free-speech concerns while aiming to stop so-called animal crush videos that show women in high heels stomping on puppies, kittens and rabbits. The measure, which passed 416 to 3, headed to the Senate for expected approval.
The high court in April overturned the conviction of a Virginia man prosecuted under the 1999 law for selling dog-fighting videos. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the law was too broad and could allow prosecutions for selling hunting videos. Read More