California Bill Limiting Undercover Investigations Of Farm Animal Abuse Pulled

SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) -- A California bill that would have limited undercover farm animal abuse investigations has been pulled by its author amid stiff and growing opposition.

A spokesman for Republican Jim Patterson, of Fresno, said he pulled the bill just three hours before it was to be voted on by the Assembly Agriculture Committee on Wednesday. The spokesman, Mike Zimmerman, did not say why.

California now joins Arkansas, Wyoming and Indiana in declining in recent weeks to advance similar bills.

Patterson's bill would have required anyone collecting evidence of abuse to turn it over to law enforcement within 48 hours, which advocates say does not allow enough time to show a pattern of illegal activity under federal humane handling and food safety laws.

Advocates said the bill was intended to quickly end abuse.

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