Legislative Update
Montana Senate Passes Horse Slaughter Bill
By Natalie Neumann, UM Legislative News Service, Guest Writer, 3-20-09
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The Montana State Senate on Thursday narrowly passed a bill that would make it easier for a person to start a horse slaughter or processing facility in the state. Currently there are no equine slaughter facilities in the United States, but there are facilities in Canada and Mexico.
Legislative News Reporter Natalie Neumann found out what concerned the Senate on the bill and you can listen to her report here or with the player below.
The bill says a state court may not issue an injunction stopping or delaying the construction of an equine slaughter or processing facility. Democrat Dave Wanzenried of Missoula says the bill would create a special protection that is not necessary.
“For those of you who want to form a slaughterhouse. Form it, do it right. Do it according to the regulations you say you are going to abide by but don’t hamstring the legal process that something on it’s face, and i’m not an attorney, would appear not to be constitutional.”
Bill supporter Republican Senator Taylor Brown of Huntley says the issue of horse slaughter is hard to deal with because there is so much human emotion involved. Some opponents say their are other ways to dispose of unwanted horses. Rick Ripley, a Republican from Wolf Creek agrees there are other ways to dispose of horses, but they are limitted.
“Not everybody takes the responsibility, personal responsibility to properly dispose of their horses. They turn them lose. They leave them to starve to death.”
Some senators are concerned that horse meat could contain medication administered to horses that are harmful for human consumption. The Food and Drug Administration has no horse meat inspectors. Missoula Senator Carol Williams says no other state in the country wants to get into the horse slaughter business.
“Why do we? Why do we want to sully the reputation we have as Montana’s brand name with putting a slaughter house in Montana.”
Supporters of the bill say a facility would be good for the states economy. The bill passed on a 27 to 23 vote.
Natalie Neumann is reporting from the state capitol for the University of Montana’s Legislative News Service.
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Comments
YES, I eat steak!
For those who say "It's really not our business what other people eat", that's true. I could care less if people in France eat horsemeat, but as an American I don't approve of the French or the Belgians forcing their cullture upon our country.
If we allow the horse slaughter business to gain a foothold in our country, it could lead to restrictions on what horse owners could treat their horses with (they have this in Europe, it's called the "Horse Passport Scheme.") Talk about an invasion of property rights.
I agree with RESCUES ONLY; I won't give Montana a dime of my tourism dollars if they allow horse slaughter to become law. There are plenty of other states in the Union to see. Oh, and I also eat steak!
Do not forget that if European horsemeat plants are allowed to operate in the US, every US horse owner will be REQUIRED to document barn to fork (as they already do in Europe)– and like is happening here with cattle. Oh, sure, it’s voluntary at first, but, like cattle, it will be mandatory. And do not forget it is OUR TAX DOLLARS that must pay the salaries of USDA inspectors at horse slaughter houses. Why should the rest of us pay – in more ways than one – just so an irresponsible minority can profit overbreeding for a slaughter trade?
We don’t eat horsemeat; we don’t need horse slaughtering plants; we don’t need the added disease risk [tick fever, VS, etc, etc, etc,] associated with mass transports of random source horses from Mexico into the US. For a state so paranoid about letting a few certified brucellosis-free bison out of quarantine, Montana sure is lax about becoming a magnet for every random source, tick-laden horse on the continent.
Jobs for 30 illegal aliens....big deal....it's not worth it!
Representative Butcher testified that the Belgians would build a "state of the art" horse slaughtering facilities in the state of Montana and claims none of the issues experienced in the state of Texas would be experienced in the state of Montana.
Cavel International located in Dekalb Illinois burned to the ground in 2002.
In 2004 a brand new "state of the art" horse slaughtering plant was opened in Dekalb Illinois..
In March of 2007 the HSUS files a notice of intent to sue the Cavel horse slaughter house in DeKalb, Ill. for dozens of violations of the Clean Water Act.
I believe former Mayor of Kaufman Texas, Paula Bacon provided you with documentation on the Cavel violations along with the Texas documentation. If you are in need of additional information I will be happy to provide it.
Once the plant in Dekalb was shuttered they moved to Canada where they resumed normal procedure and violations of the Clean Water Act.
In September of 2008 Twyla Francois of the CHDC captures footage of Natural Valley Farms (operated by VELDA the same operators of the Cavel plant in the USA) horse slaughter plant dumping horse blood into Qu'Appelle River Valley. The river runs along the plant's property line. You can view the footage here youtube.com/watch?v=udbD6OeiUBY add www to the begining of that link.
Also go the kaufmanzoning.net and look at the FOIA pictures horse slaughter is not humane.
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MAN, ARE YOU HARD UP!!
YOUR LEGISLATORS MAKE ME WANT TO PUKE!!
DECENT HORSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA REALLY BOYCOTT YOU GOOD YEAH, AND STARTING WITH ME--I'M GETTING
THE WORD OUT NOW--NO DEALS IN/WITH MONTANA!!
A slaughter plant in your midst will do nothing for the local economy-- the plant in Texas generated millions in income for its owners and $5 in local taxes; it will do nothing to feed the destitute and hungry, not in America, not abroad -- the meat will be shipped overseas for human consumption by well-off gourmet palates of Europe and Japan, selling for $20/lb. A slaughter plant will foul your natural resources - - it happened in Texas, it's happening in Canada. The Natural Valley Farms plant was closed, in part, due to their dumping blood in the local river, having piles of uncovered, uncomposted body remnants rotting the sun--fouling the environment and groundwater. It will foul your air with the odors of blood and death, due to stench of those rotting, uncovered corpses of the horses who died in the plant. It will foul your highways with trucks full of horses being shipped in for slaughter.
And what is the benefit? Perhaps a few dozen jobs for a few citizens. The money won't be pumped into the local economy, it will go overseas, to the owners of the foreign-built plant. It's a win-win situation for them, and a lose-lose situation for the state of Montana.
And so, I have to wonder, what was the benefit to the legislators who pushed for this Slaughter Bill? They were not following the wishes and demands of the citizens of Montana, because it seems that the majority of Montana's citizens were AGAINST this bill passing. So, if the legislators weren't fullfilling the desires and demands of their constituents, who interests were they working for? European businessmen? Hmmmmm, never mind the whole subject of the inhumane nature of the business that is horse-slaughter.
Let's quit listening to the efeete eastern liberals and help the poor of different countries!!
This is actually a HUMANITARIAN ISSUE!!
The gov of Nevada is being sued by cocktail waitress, ex-secretaries and is in a divorce procedure, or we might have one here , too.
I live in western Nebraska where over 200 head of starving horses were ceased due to starvation. Over 70 head were found dead from starvation. I took a day off work to go help move and care for these horses, and it was heartbreaking. Within weeks of this incident another group of horses was found in Jay Em Wyoming dead or dying of starvation. This all within 100 miles of where I live, I can’t imagine how many starving horses are out there suffering.
I myself would rather see these horses humanely put down than starved to death. I realize the way horse slaughter has been done in the past probably isn’t humane, but have you ever wondered how it is done in Mexico. I am sure there is no compassion there. For the most part horses that end up at these plants are not productive anymore, and their owners choose not to take care of them for the rest of their lives, So does that mean they have to spend their last years suffering. May people who own horses make the commitment to take care of their friend until the end, but others don’t or can’t.
I myself could never eat horse meat, but who am I to tell my neighbor what he can eat!
According to the ASSOCIATED PRESS, "the recession has increased the number of malnourished people by 100 million, to one BILLION!!
So, while you are eating high priced BLACK ANGUS at your local fast food , you can DENI THOSE LESS FORTUNATE A SOURCE OF PROTEIN!!
IS SQUAB A BABY PIDGEON??
In India, people are starving to death, swept up every morning, but their RELIGIOUS LEADERS FORBID EATING CATTLE, WHICH ROAM UN-MOLESTED IN THE STREETS!!
They stated in there that, and I quote, “Before processing, workers move the horses with flags rather than whips. One at a time the horses go into stocks. Once in place, a hydraulic bar pushes the horse forward while a wedge-shaped stainless steel device comes under the chin and cradles the head. This limits the horse’s movement, Dr. Lenz said, which better facilitates placement of the captive device.”
This is how the horses should be treated when slaughtered! This is in Mexico… Why can’t we have that here? It is possible!