Horse slaughter bill faces final vote
By MIKE DENNISON - IR State Bureau - 03/20/09
The bill to encourage construction of a horse-slaughtering plant in Montana won endorsement from the state Senate Thursday, putting it one step away from the governor's desk for signature into law.
The Senate endorsed House Bill 418 on a 27-23 vote, setting up a final vote Friday before the measure advances to Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who hasn't yet taken a position on it.
HB418 expressly allows private horse-slaughter plants to be built in Montana and also offers them legal protections from those who might challenge a plant's license.
Supporters have said a slaughter plant not only would bring needed investment and jobs to Montana, but also would provide a place for people to dispose of unwanted horses, which most Montanans consider as livestock.
"When a horse gets not useful any more, you have to have a place to put it," said Sen. Don Steinbeisser, R-Sidney. "They're not like your pet dog or cat. We need a market for these horses."
Opponents argued that a horse-slaughter plant is not the type of development Montana needs, noting that such plants have been shut down in all other states across the nation.
"I'm all for economic development, but economic development shouldn't be trashy economic development," said Sen. Larry Jent, D-Bozeman.
Thursday's vote fell largely along party lines, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed. Only two of the chamber's 27 Republicans voted against it — Rick Laible of Darby and Gary Perry of Manhattan — while only two of the Senate's 23 Democrats voted for it: Ken Hansen of Harlem and Sharon Stewart-Peregoy of Crow Agency.
HB418, sponsored by Rep. Ed Butcher, R-Winifred, says a state court may not delay construction of a horse-slaughter plant once the plant is licensed by the state. It also requires anyone challenging a plant's permit to post a bond worth 20 percent of the construction costs.
Sen. Ryan Zinke, R-Whitefish, who carried the bill in the Senate, said the legal protections shouldn't be an issue, because the Legislature often grants tax advantages or other incentives to businesses it wants to attract.
The debate, rather, should be over which view of horses prevails in Montana: The horse as livestock or the horse as a companion or pet, he said.
People who believe horses should be considered as livestock, should vote for the bill, because livestock need a place to be slaughtered when they're no longer needed, Zinke said.
Butcher has said some unwanted horses now are slaughtered in Canada or Mexico, and that a plant in Montana would mean more money for those disposing of their horses.
The developer of a slaughter plant in Montana likely would be a European company, looking to ship meat overseas, he also has said.
Several Democrats, however, said HB418 grants "special favors" to slaughter-plant developers, and questioned why they need such protections to do business.
"The business model doesn't work," said Sen. Dave Wanzenried, D-Missoula. "If it did work, they wouldn't be here asking for this. Who's going to be in here next asking for a special deal?"
Others also questioned why a horse-slaughter plant should be seen as an asset for the state, when they've been closed down in every other state.
"We have a responsibility to not dive off into a black hole (for) something that no other state wants to deal with," said Senate Minority Leader Carol Williams, D-Missoula. "Why do we want to sully Montana's brand name by putting a slaughter house in Montana?"
HERE is a link to leave a comment for Gov. Brian Schweitzer of MT.
http://governor.mt.gov/contact/commentsform.asp