By Benjamin Yount 217-528-9844
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers will once again be talking about what to do with a horse once its days of riding are over.
There is a new push in the General Assembly to repeal the state’s nearly three-year-old ban on commercial horse slaughter.
State Rep Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica, said in the years since Illinois shut down the last horse slaughter plant in DeKalb, thousands of horses have faced starvation, abandonment, or a long trip to a death in Mexico.
“We have now reached a point where nearly 100,000 horses a year are being shipped to arguably a third world country…where they are slaughtered in Mexico in nowhere near the humane situation that we had here.”
Sacia’s plan would allow for horses to once again be killed for human consumption, and would eliminate the provisions that all but shut down the Cavel plant in DeKalb after former Governor Rod Blagojevich signed the horse slaughter ban.
Sacia has pushed for a repeal in the past, but has failed to find support from fellow lawmakers. He expects more of the same this time as well.
Horse slaughter is an issue of emotion for state Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Highland Park, but she also said she doesn’t want the General Assembly to change the law for one industry.
But Garrett said the issue will come down to how horses are seen, and for most people she said they are not the same as cattle, chickens, or hogs.
Garrett said a lot of people in the Chicagoland area would have problems with re-authorizing horse slaughter.
State Rep. Dave Winters, R-Rockford, said the legislature needs to look at horse slaughter as a part of Illinois’ agricultural economy.
Winters says the new legislation would not force anyone to send a horse to the slaughter plant.
Sacia said he hopes to get a hearing for his plan next week, but he is not betting on his chances at getting the proposal to Gov. Quinn’s desk sometime this year.
Thank you for this explanation. i’m impressed that you’ve an understanding from all that, Good post for Some fine content that you share on here.