President Bush has signed the "Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act." This legislation increases penalties for criminal acts against animal enterprises (commercial, academic, laboratories, animal shelter, pet store, breeder, or furrier). It also revises criminal prohibitions against damaging or interfering with the operations of an animal enterprise to include "intentional damage or loss to any real or personal property and intentional threats of death or serious bodily injury against individuals." The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI).
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C., correspondent