New bill introduced to outlaw 'animal crush' videos

One day after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law against depictions of animal cruelty, the author of the original bill introduced a revised version.

The Supreme Court determined that the language in the original bill was so broad, it could make hunting magazines and videos illegal.

Republican Congressman Elton Gallegly of Thousand Oaks wasted no time rewriting the measure. He and more than 50 co-sponsors introduced a new bill that clearly outlaws “animal crush videos.” Those are films that depict cruelty such as the drowning, impaling, burning, and crushing of animals.

Gallegly says the original 1999 measure effectively shut down the crush video industry for ten years.

The Supreme Court has ruled that there are exceptions to First Amendment protections of free expression. Child pornography is one notable example.