Schwarzenegger signs Researcher Protection Act of 2008. [Adventures in Ethics and Science]

Posted on: October 6, 2008 3:38 PM, by Janet D. Stemwedel The past couple years in California have been scary ones for academic researchers who conduct research with animals (as well as for their neighbors), what with firebombs, home invasions, significant intentional damage to their properties and threats to their safety. In response to a ratcheting up of attacks from animals rights groups, universities have lobbied for the Researcher Protection Act of 2008, which Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law on September 28. As described in Inside Higher Ed: The law is part of a campaign, including litigation against animal liberation groups suspected of involvement in recent incidents, to protect animal researchers from harm. The Researcher Protection Act of 2008, which is already in effect, adds several new misdemeanor... [read full story]