Despite vigorous opposition from HFA and animal activists across the country, Governor Schwarzenegger has signed SB 1520 into law. This travesty has now guaranteed the legalized torture of ducks for years to come.

The production of foie gras is one of the most barbaric cruelties in the food animal industry. Ducks and geese subjected to this practice suffer daily forcefeedings where grain is pumped into their stomachs through a long funnel crammed down their throats. These force-feedings continue until their livers are so overloaded and swollen that the animals can barely move. The birds are then killed for the purpose of removing their abnormally swollen livers. This is then sold as the frivolous product known as foie gras.

The infamous Sonoma Foie Gras is based in California. There has been extensive media coverage of the horrific conditions at the Sonoma Foie Gras facility. The news coverage was prompted by activists who entered the facility and documented the shockingly abusive conditions. Following this, a lawsuit was filed against Sonoma Foie Gras based on the understanding that its cruel practices violate California’s existing animal cruelty laws.

Foie-gras producer Guillermo Gonzalez thanks Senator Burton.

It is in this context that Senator John Burton introduced SB 1520. In its original form, the bill would have stopped the torture of ducks by Sonoma Foie Gras. And it sought to prohibit the sale of foie gras. As such, we previously urged support of the measure. But all that has changed.

Sonoma Foie Gras was soon able to gain complete control of SB 1520’s content. Eager for anything that could be sold as a victory, the bill’s sponsors betrayed the original intent of the bill — and agreed to delay even the possibility of a ban on foie gras until the year 2012!

That, however, was only the beginning. Sonoma Foie Gras wanted SB 1520 to formally and explicitly declare that its horrific force-feeding practices be considered legal under California law.

But even that’s not all. What this notoriously cruel foie gras company wanted most of all was for SB 1520 to protect it from both criminal and civil lawsuits. This would include the outright dismissal of the pending lawsuit that has been filed against it by activists. Incredibly, the sponsors agreed to all of this.

And exactly what would the ducks receive from this Faustian deal? Nothing, except having tubes shoved down their throats to enlarge their livers — year after year after year — with no end in sight.

Despite what has been promised, there is absolutely no guaranteed ban of foie gras — even in 2012. The only guarantee is that, if SB 1520 is signed into law, Sonoma Foie Gras will be free to enjoy and profit from eight years of unprecedented legal protection and special privileges. Then, after having plenty of time to get its ducks in a row, it need only to push the 2012 date back — indefinitely. That is, in fact, the company’s stated intention.

The bottom line is this: Sonoma Foie Gras was given the choice between having no legislation — or having SB 1520 advance as amended. Enthusiastically, the company chose to advance SB 1520.

California’s corrupted foie gras legislation serves the political, financial, and organizational interests of the people involved. But it makes matters worse for the animals. The following shows exactly what was gained by the winners — and the losers.

The animal abusers (Sonoma Foie Gras) receive the following:

The ducks at Sonoma Foie Gras receive the following:

• Unrelenting torture and suffering through the year 2012 — AND BEYOND.

We would like to thank all of you who joined with us in opposing SB 1520. Although we were unable to stop Sonoma Foie Gras from passing SB 1520, HFA's fight against animal torture continues.