National
Illinois State Rep. Sacia trying to legalize horse slaughter, AGAIN!
By Patricia Haight, Ph.D.
May 15, 2008, 16:24

On Wednesday, May 14 the Illinois General Assembly's Senate Agriculture and Conservation Committee will consider HB 4162, sponsored by State Senator John Cullerton (D). This bill, which successfully passed out of the House in February, amends the Humane Care for Animals Act so that "no person may transport any equidae in a vehicle or trailer containing 2 or more levels, one on top of the other."

The bill is a result of a horrific accident involving horses in Illinois. A double-deck tractor trailer carrying 59 Belgian draft horses through Wadsworth, IL in October 2007 "blew through a stop light at Route 41 and Wadsworth Road and struck another vehicle," according to local police on the scene of the accident. The severe crash resulted in more than five hours of suffering for the horses before authorities could free them from the mangled truck. Sadly, nine horses died on the scene, with another six dying later because of injuries they sustained.

Accidents such as this one are not uncommon. Only one year earlier, a double-deck truck hauling 41 horses to slaughter crashed on its way to the Cavel International facility in DeKalb, Ill. This tragic incident resulted in the death of 16 horses. Similar scenarios have occurred elsewhere in the United States.

Illinois has become the leader in protecting equines from abuse and neglect. Last year, the state's General Assembly overwhelmingly passed legislation banning the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Unfortunately, although horses can no longer be slaughtered in Illinois, the middlemen working for Cavel - known as "killer buyers" - continue to buy horses across the country.
The horses are then shipped to Mexico and Canada for slaughter, often passing through Illinois en route to the Cavel plant in Canada or to plants in Mexico. The preferred method of transporting horses to slaughter remains the double-deck truck, a two-tiered trailer designed for other livestock such as cattle and hogs. Use of theses conveyances to transport horses is cruel and dangerous.
The State of Illinois has made clear its intolerance of the horse slaughter industry by shutting down its sole plant. H.B. 4162 will ensure the companies still buying horses and shipping them through Illinois to slaughter in Canada and Mexico can no longer use the horribly inhumane double-deckers to haul these animals.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Our double decker ban bill is scheduled for a committee hearing on Wednesday May 14th as is Rep.Sacia's BAD bill that would overturn the IL ban on horse slaughter!
Please call the following commitee members and ask them to vote "YES" on HB 4169 the bill to ban double deckers.

Senate Agriculture & Conservation Committee

Chairman John M. Sullivan (D)
417 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-2479
(217) 222-2944 FAX

Senator Gary G. Dahl (R)
105E Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-3840
(815) 220-8721 FAX

Vice-Chairman Michael Frerichs (D)
118 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-2507
(217) 355-5255 FAX

Senator Tim Bivins (R)
309H Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-0180
(815) 284-0207 FAX

Senator Deanna Demuzio (D)
M106 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-8206
(217) 854-5311 FAX

Senator John O. Jones (R)
103D Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-0471
(217) 782-4079 FAX

Senator Linda Holmes (D)
M122 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-0422
(217) 782-2115 FAX

Senator David Luechtefeld (R)
103B Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-8137
(618) 243-5376 FAX

Senator A. J. Wilhelmi (D)
311 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-8800
(815) 207-4446 FAX

Please call the following committee members and ask them to vote "NO" on HB 4489, Rep. Sacia's bill that would overturn the IL ban on horse slaughter.

House Drivers Education & Safety Committee

Chairman John D'Amico (D)
284-S Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-8198
(217) 782-2906 FAX

Representative Michael P. McAuliffe (R)
242-W Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-8182
(217) 558-1073 FAX

Vice-Chairperson Kathleen A. Ryg (D)
231-E Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-0499
(217) 557-1934 FAX

Representative Rich Brauer (R)
1128-E Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-0053
(217) 782-0897 FAX

Representative Jack McGuire (D)
239-E Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-8090
(217) 557-6465 FAX

Representative Bill Mitchell (R)
238-W Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-8163

Representative Susana A Mendoza (D)
200-1S Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-7752
(217) 782-8917 FAX

Representative Harry R. Ramey, Jr. (R)
213-N Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 558-1037
(217) 782-5257 FAX

Representative Mike Boland (D)
243-E Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-3992
(217) 782-5201 FAX

Representative Dan Brady (R)
200-8N Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-1118
(217) 558-6271 FAX

Representative Mary E. Flowers (D)
251-E Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-4207
(217) 782-1130 FAX

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