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Springfield,
IL (April 8, 2008) – Following last year’s passage of an
Illinois state law banning horse slaughter, the House of the
Illinois General Assembly today adopted HB 4162, a bill to ban the
use of double-deck cattle trailers to transport horses inside the
state. Sponsored in the House by Representatives JoAnn Osmond
(R-61st) and Bob Molaro (D-21st), the bill easily passed by a vote
of 80-29 and will now move to the Senate for consideration. Although
the state’s sole horse slaughter plant closed in 2007, these
trailers are still used to move horses through Illinois to be
slaughtered elsewhere. “On
behalf of our Illinois supporters and horse lovers around the United
States, we commend Representatives Osmond and Molaro and their
colleagues in the House for passing this double decker ban,” said
Chris Heyde, Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) deputy director of
government and legal affairs. “The Illinois General Assembly has
taken action to stop the brutal injury and death of horses
transported on trailers not designed for them. We look forward to
seeing the Senate enact this modest and responsible legislation.”
During today’s floor debate,
staunch horse slaughter advocate Representative Jim Sacia railed
against the Illinois ban on horse slaughter. Sacia continues to
mislead his colleagues in an attempt to overturn the ban, which
easily passed the Illinois General Assembly last year. He advocates
the reopening of US plants by highlighting how bad the situation is
for horses going to Canada and Mexico for slaughter, a fate AWI
opposed for years. However, Sacia fails to point out that the
industry he is advocating for in the United States is the same
industry buying tens of thousands of American horses and shipping
them to their plants in Canada and Mexico.
“If Representative Sacia cared
about our horses, he would commend the Illinois ban and urge the US
Congress to swiftly enact the American Horse Slaughter Prevention
Act,” Heyde said. “Mr. Sacia is clearly trying to keep a cruel
industry alive while couching his disingenuous move as a mark of
compassion.”
AWI will continue to advocate for
HB 4162 as it moves to the Senate. Be sure to stay up to date on the
Illinois legislation, as well as AWI’s national campaign against
horse slaughter, by visiting www.awionline.org daily. While you are
there, please also sign up for our eAlerts so that you can take
action for animals when needed.
HB 4162 Fact
Sheet
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For over 57 years the Animal
Welfare Institute has been the leading voice for animals across the
country and on Capitol Hill to reduce the sum total of pain and fear
inflicted on animals by humans. Find our more at:
www.awionline.org.
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