Senate Addresses Eco-Terrorism

October 6, 2006 - Earlier this week, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), together with Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, hailed Senate passage of bi-partisan legislation that will enhance the effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Justice's response to recent trends in the animal rights terrorist movement.

The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) gives protection to scientists, medical researchers, ranchers, farmers and any other industry involving animals by expanding current law to address violent tactics used by animal rights extremists to frighten law abiding citizens away from their work. The AETA gives law enforcement the tools they need to adequately combat radical animal rights extremists' who commit violent acts against innocent people because they work with animals.

AETA was introduced after two EPW public hearings and has express first amendment protections, has a staggered penalty structure to meet varying levels of violent offenses and carries a penalty of life imprisonment for the death of an individual resulting from animal rights extremists' dangerous tactics.

The American Sheep Industry Association supported the introduction of this legislation.

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