Illinois House Approves State Slaughter Ban
Illinois House Approves State Slaughter Ban
by: The Associated Press
After several failures, state lawmakers have advanced a star-powered
measure to outlaw slaughtering horses for human consumption in
Illinois.
The House voted 74-41 Wednesday for the measure aimed at closing down
the Cavel International Inc. slaughterhouse in DeKalb, but the issue
may be moot. Cavel and the nation’s two other slaughterhouses ceased
operations after a federal court ruled that plant inspections were
being improperly funded.
Horse advocates, including actress Bo Derek, have lobbied state
lawmakers for several years to shut down the plant.
Derek, who represents the National Horse Protection Coalition, was at
the Capitol for a second time Wednesday, after lawmakers rejected the
idea in 2004.
Supporters argue slaughtering horses and sending the meat overseas
for human consumption is inhumane treatment for animals that some
people consider pets. They said people would be outraged if
legislators didn’t try to shut down a dog or cat slaughtering
facility if it opened in Illinois.
“Why the heck we would allow anyone to slaughter a horse in Illinois,
I have no idea,” said Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie. “It just doesn’t make
any sense.”
Opponents acknowledged the emotion of the issue but said it would be
wrong to shut down a slaughterhouse that’s simply providing a legal
product to other countries. They also argued horses that now go to
slaughter would be abused and perhaps abandoned in rural areas to
starve.
They questioned whether supporters simply were being wooed by the
arguments of a Hollywood celebrity and warned that closing the plant
would hurt the northern Illinois economy.
The bill now heads to the Senate
