By an overwhelming 44-5 majority, Montana senators voted on April 16 to reject Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s amendments to HB 418, the controversial bill to permit horse processing and restrict court appeals seeking to halt construction of a slaughter plant. Other legislative measures regarding horse processing are on the table in 13 other states, including North Dakota and Arkansas. Montana senators agreed with their colleagues in the House of Representatives, who voted on April 8 to send the measure back to Gov. Schweitzer in its original form. In a news conference April 3 to announce the partial veto, Gov. Schweitzer said he recognized the need for horse processing, and would be willing to look at modifying the state's regulatory structure if a company wanted to build a plant in the state. However, he objected to the provisions in HB 418 that would limit environmental appeals, saying no other business in Montana received such protections. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Ed Butcher (R-Winifred), seeks to encourage construction of a processing plant by preventing Montana courts from issuing an injunction stopping or delaying the construction of an equine-processing facility. It also would have required anyone who challenges a facility's environmental permit to post a substantial bond. When it reaches his desk, Gov. Schweitzer has 10 days to either sign or veto the measure. If he takes no action, it automatically passes into law. The Governor has not made his intentions public. In North Dakota, House lawmakers on April 16 passed HB 1496, which authorizes a $50,000 study to evaluate the construction of a slaughter plant in their state, and identify legal roadblocks. The North Dakota Senate approved its version of the measure in March. Gov. John Hoeven must now decide whether to sign HB 1496 into law. He is expected to take action next week. In Arkansas, a resolution urging Congress to support equine processing has passed both the House and Senate. The measure, HCR 1004, now awaits Gov. Mike Beebe’s signature...Quarter Horse News
Hat Tip: Sue Wallis & United Horsemen's Front
2 comments:
I have been looking for someone to start an intelligent discourse on the slaughter of horses and to fight the government on the abdication of our property rights. It is not about the horse. It is the governments position on violating our civil rights. Today the horse, and with harry reid nancy palossa and a few others in congress nobody knows what will happen next. My hat is tipped to Sue Wallis. go sue go
Montana's bill gives one particular industry special legal protection from commonsense environmental protection. If there are property rights at stake, it's of the landowners whose property abuts the site wherever a horse slaughterhouse will be built.
No one should be free to contaminate or pollute so that it negatively impacts the health and quality of living of their neighbors.
Just because I have a baseball bat doesn't mean I have the right to smack you over the head with it.
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