Kelsey Hambor

Minnesota House File 4913 would give agricultural corporations the power to sue individuals and organizations who make statements deemed false about food products or the farming practices used to produce them. Laws like this are known as “veggie libel laws” — and they’re designed not to win in court, but to silence advocates before they ever get there.

Thirteen other states already have versions of this law, and not a single food disparagement lawsuit has ever succeeded. But that’s not the point. Even a groundless lawsuit can take years and cost thousands of dollars to defend — money that most activists and nonprofits simply don’t have. The threat alone is enough to make people think twice before speaking out.

What makes this bill especially dangerous is that it flips the burden of proof. Instead of a corporation having to prove your statement was false, you have to prove it was true. That’s an expensive, exhausting bar to clear — and it’s intentional.

At ARC, we show footage. We have hard conversations. We share the truth about what happens inside factory farms and slaughterhouses. HF 4913 threatens that work directly.

Here’s what you can do: Contact your Minnesota legislators and urge them to oppose HF 4913 at leg.mn.gov. Share this post. Stay loud. The animals need us to keep speaking — let’s make sure the law doesn’t take that away.

Get involved with ARC by visiting our Volunteer Network.