Just because there is a market for horse meat in some countries does not mean the U.S. must be their supplier. Image not filed with original story.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The sponsor of a bill seeking to attract horse slaughter facilities said the bill likely will not pass this year.
Rep. Andy Holt said that chances were not good for the bill to pass, but he remained committed to bringing the industry to Tennessee.
The Senate version of the bill was taken off notice last week and Holt took it off the schedule for the House floor on Monday. He said an amendment that would require hefty deposits for anyone to mount a legal challenge to the facilities was removed from the bill, but he was also working on adding animal treatment guidelines.
“I am not into rushing stuff through,” he said. “We want to make sure all the interested parties have a chance to express their grievances with these bills.”
Holt said he wants to add protections for the horses and horse owners.
“The amendment we are working on right now actually sets up guidelines for animal treatment and for the procurement of these animals,” he said.
Holt, a Dresden Republican, has said his bill would create a humane way to cope with unwanted horses that are sometimes left to starve. But Democratic Rep. Janis Sontany of Nashville said slaughterhouses are seeking a different population of horses.
“They don’t want old or sick horses for slaughter,” she said. “They want healthy horses.”
© ASSOCIATED PRESS | April 16, 2012
It’s interesting (in that “so awful I can’t help but look” sort of way) that, with all these attempts to re-open slaughterhouses for horses as a humane way of saving them from the horrors of neglect, no one has yet to demonstrate to the Public the new & improved methods of killing a horse that are more ‘humane’ than the last go-round.
It’s as if, with the funding for inspectors showing back up in the budget (and let us never forget: it was stolen into the budget by sneaky, wretched and underhanded means), slaughter can just magically resume, pick right back up where it left off and ALL is forgiven.
Huh-uh. The reasons for not wanting this repugnant industry anywhere in our backyard still exist. There have been NO improvements – either in killing horses, processing the waste or in assuring Public health and safety. Just because you think you can do a thing doesn’t mean you should.
(And the oft-repeated quotes about repetition & insanity and forgetting/repeating history loop endlessly…)
Killing them to save them? Honestly, Fellas, how stupid does that sound when you say it out loud??
So exquisitely well said, Lisa. “Killing them to save them”…as if two wrongs make a right.
It seems that Rep Andy Holt doesn’t realize that there are no “unwanted” horses; there are only temporarily homeless horses. He doesn’t seem to understand the issues (or even the industry he is promoting) at all. Also, what does “Dresden Republican” mean? Is that a special kind of Republican in the US?
Just as you say, these horses are temporarily homeless through no fault of their own. They end up that way because of decisions made by their “owners”. That “unwanted horse” concept was invented by horse pro-slaughter organizations.
Dresden is probably where his constituency is; like you might say the Quebec Conservative (is there such a thing?).
Thank you! Every horse is wanted by someone. It is a matter of making the right connection. The conversation always revolves around how to best dispose of useful, healthy horses. This makes no sense and never has. Every horse represents wealth.
(Well, Cynthia, are there any kill plants in Dresden? All those horse killing corps are “foreign owned”, as we know….)
Mr Holt seems to be under the influence of some out of state special interest fund money.
I wonder what his ties are to Sue Wallis and other paid horse killer reps we US taxpayers fund? Who is paying who these days? I always wonder that when I see a Holt or a Nicely in action vs American voters.
A Dresden Republican ………I’m from Tennessee and Dresden is a small back woods town with a backwoods ignorant Republican name Andy Holt…..And yes I am from Tennessee and a Republican and am not proud to call him a Tennessean.But much thanks to Representative Curtis Johnson’s office for being against horse slaughter…In my humble opinion Andy Holt needs to go back to Dresden and stay out of politics.
AMEN!
What amazes me is that this Holt would even think that TN would accept this. He seems unaware that the facts and the reality of bringing in a horse killing plant is not what anybody would want anywhere. No elected official can force voters to accept this horror in their home state. Wallis has connections to similar special interests but that doesn’t mean that anybody is fooled by the lies about what this really is. I think it has been 4 states that have made it clear that they do not want this. Wouldn’t you think that the likely outcome to any such attempt would be clear, even to Wallis and her buddies? The word is out on these horse killers. No one wants them and no one has an ounce of respect for them. For a political career, promoting horse slaughter seems to be career suicide. This is such a waste of time.
Andy Holt is another talented comedian. He states the obvious with an air of discovery. That is talent developed over time and with a lot of practice.
TN is not going to endure this nonsense. Neither is any voter who knows the truth about this scam. That was made clear in OR, MO and elsewhere.
BTW, whatever happened to the well known support team of Sue & Dave? Why aren’t they fronting this bullying of TN voters? After all, Mr. Nicely tried and failed to do an end run behind TN voters and ram this criminal enterprise down their throats.
Why isn’t Sue there for these colorful activities? She and her buddies in Congress are the ones behind these state circuses. How many tax dollars are wasted trying to deal with the mess Sue brings through her fond contacts? Are we all paying for this constant court time, investigation time and endless interruption in state business?
How much has this cost these states already? Is there reimbursement available from Sue & Co?
Taxpayers pay some of Sue’s bills. She is from WY. Why is she interested in MO, OR and now TN? Makes no sense, does it? Sounds like some well known names are desperate for some quick cash.
Okay, I’ve got it now (dunce cap removed). Quebec Conservatives?? Well, you know we just went through “the Orange Crush” in which (thank God, finally), Quebeckers overwhelmingly voted for the NDP (New Democratic Party, very anti-horse slaughter and animal-friendly) and in one fell swoop, got rid of the corrupt Liberals and the avaricious Conservatives (led by Stephen “Sheriff” Harper). I’m talking federal here and not provincial: we always have the separatist party, le Parti Quebecois, to deal with (which is pro-horse-slaughter) which is gaining electoral support provincially, as we speak. The thing to remember is: no matter if and when Canada stops horse slaughter (and with Bill C-322 that’s our aim), Quebec ( which considers itself “independent”) will do as it pleases…and with the repealing of Section 33 of our federal Meat Inspection Act), it can. So, please consider, at all times, that you are dealing with three countries: Mexico, Canada, and Quebec. Quebec will act on its own, and even if Bill C-322 is passed in Canada, Quebec may indeed continue slaughtering horses, including US horses. Scary yes, because we may very well continue accepting US horses for slaughter…laws are fluid in a federation of provinces where provincial laws can sometimes (and, often do) override federal rules. There is, however, a movement here which needs to be mobilized…and once it is, Quebec (which always hates to be last at the gate) will fall in to line. I have tried to make this clear to Canadian organizations: “you ignore Quebec at your peril, and the peril of our horses.” Canadians can align themselves all they want with Americans, but, at the end of the day, US horses will continue being slaughtered…in the “foreign” abattoirs of Quebec.
Ok. Who in Quebec would be susceptible to contacts from the US? Most of us ar e English speakers only. Do you have any Quebec names or contact info US residents can use in order to protest horse slaughter operations? Maybe US residents could have some impact if we try.
All and every government agency would receive communications from the US (in English). As I have said before, 46 % of Quebec businesses are US owned, or have their head offices in the States. You have influence. MAPAQ, Anima-Quebec (on the ground agency responsible for Quebec’s upholding of our animal cruelty law, P-42), la Surete du Quebec (which is the more realistic choice to phone about animal/horse cruelty here: they are “first responders” to cruelty calls), the Canadian SPCA (which is in Montreal but holds the original Charter from the RSPCA), the CFHS (Cdn Federation of Humane Societies), Refuge Galahad, and to some extent, the Cdn Horse Defence Coalition (which appears to be expanding its presence in Quebec.)…there are many more in QC, but as it is late here, I can certainly send these contacts to you privately, or as Vivian wishes, on this blog. Note that Quebec agencies are bilingual; and while they may pretend to English Canadians that they “don’t speak” English, the minute you identify yourself as an American, you will be amazed at how well they speak and understand English! Funny thing, that. (I am fluently bilingual, but have used my part-US ancestry to confound them and obtain answers I would otherwise not get!). I would start with the Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada, led by Bill des Barres (also in cahoots with the CQHA which is bankrolled by the AQHA) because they have untouchable influence with MAPAQ (Min of Agri, Fisheries and Food Production in Quebec), and of course, Horse Slaughter Sue in the US. Identify yourself as an “innocent ” American wanting to know the score in Canada and see how they respond. More as soon as I can get back to you.
If I remember correctly TN was one of about a doz states that was interested in opening up horse slaughter plants about three or four years ago at a governors conference. As far as I understood it all the governors were all in agreement to start this up again but they couldn’t because of the federal budget not funding it. But since then a lot of the governors that was in on this have either retired, died or was voted out of office. And the new ones don’t want anything to do with it it looks like. You saw what happened in New Mexico. And as word of this spreads you won’t find any governors willing to go along with any of this cruelty. I don’t believe that there has been any money appropriated so far to pay inspectors, in fact the ag department wants to cut back on inspections especially in chicken plants. What they want is speed up the line of chickens that needs to be inspected faster than a inspector can check them. Its a big mess.
Thank God that there are other people and not just Andy Holt………My opinion of someone like that is he is clueless…..Thank you to Rep. Curtis Johnson who has been helping me with my many calls and e-mails his office has been very much against this bill….Andy Holt needs to focus on other things rather than allowing this horrible bill to be brought back up…..I am a Tennessean and a Republican and very ashamed to know that people like Andy Holt represent this state he has small children that I’m sure love horses how could you ever explain the logic behind his thinking unless like so many politicians it’s about money, and not doing what is in the best interest for their state and country,and most of all the animals….I’m so thankful that this bill has not passed and encourage everyone and anyone to speak out and call your Representatives, Senators,Governors, Mayors or anyone that will listen.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED, REPPY ANDY HOLT, CANT WIN THIS ONE.
To those that may not know, Slaughterhouse Sue Wallis is a Wyoming state rep, not a US rep. She is a part time politician who seems to like having animals killed, but not killing them herself. I’m sure there is a name other than psycopath for what she has.
Most psychopaths also are highly narcissistic as well as sadistic; and how these walking harbingers of death and lies manage to slither into positions of any authority is what is more disturbing to me than their pathologies.
Good to know that the people of Tennessee see through this smoke and hot air. No one’s horses are safe around a slaughter house….you will have your fences cut, your horses lead to waiting trailers and they will be dead and fileted before you wake up and realize that they are gone. Slaughter houses bring in a very undesirable group of humans….those that can handle terror, death and hatred….I don’t want it in my community, you don’t either….How about an anti-slaughter bill board….see Angel Acres Anti-Slaughter on FaceBook.
FAT chance of it passing any year, not just this year.