Legal shield for Calif. researchers?

University scientists in California who use animals in their research may get some legal protection from animal rights groups, which have linkurl:attacked;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/54287/ and linkurl:harassed;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/54379/ researchers there in recent months. On Thursday (Apr 17) the California Assembly Judiciary Committee unanimously passed the Animal Enterprise Protection Act, a bill sponsored by the University of California system that aims to mete out stiffer penalties for what a UC linkurl:fact sheet;http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/animalresearch/ab2296factsheet.pdf labels "acts specifically related to animal enterprise terror." The bill now moves on to the California Assembly Appropriations Committee. "The committee's decision today to move this bill forward is an important step in addressing this issue," said UC Provost linkurl:Wyatt Hume;http://www.ucop.edu/acadaff/wrhbio.html in a linkurl:statement;http://pub.ucsf.edu/today/cache/feature/200804182.html posted Friday (Apr 18) on UC, San Francisco's Web site. "It represents a crucial acknowledgment by the Legislature of the importance of maintaining academic freedom and a university environment free of violence and intimidation." In addition to outlining new...