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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Chobani founder asks Otter to veto ‘ag gag bill’

Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The founder of Greek yogurt maker Chobani is asking Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter to veto a bill that jails for up to a year people who secretly film animal abuse at Idaho's agricultural facilities. Hamdi Ulukaya in a statement on Friday says the law would limit transparency, could cause general public concern, and conflicts with the company's views and values. The company has a $450 million plant in Twin Falls in the heart of south-central Idaho's dairy region. The bill, promoted heavily by Idaho's dairy industry, comes after videos released by Los Angeles-based vegetarian and animal rights group Mercy for Animals showed workers at Bettencourt Dairy beating, stomping and sexually abusing cows in 2012. An activist secretly filmed the abuse after getting a job at the dairy.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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