Subject: [againstslaughter] UPDATE- ACTION ALERT ON HB
649: Please crosspost!
Hi,
This is a new update-alert about the Illinois horse slaughter bill (HB 649,
Senate Amendment #4). This alert contains updated
information about the people you should contact; please, read it carefully and
forward it to all your contacts and all groups working to end horse slaughter or
to rescue horses. Start crossposting it like crazy!!! Many thanks!
URGENT UPDATE ON HORSE SLAUGHTER!!! BILL TO BAN HORSE SLAUGHTER IN ILLINOIS
FACES FINAL VOTE!
HB 649, SENATE AMENDMENT #4 HEADED TO FULL HOUSE VOTE
Illinois House Bill 649 and its Forth Senate Amendment (formerly SB 1921) the
legislation that will ban the slaughter of horses in Illinois, preventing
Belgian-owned corporation Cavel International from opening and operating its new
horse slaughterhouse being rebuilt in DeKalb, Illinois, passed the Senate last
Thursday. Now the bill will be sent to the full Illinois House of
Representatives for a final vote, which will decide if this legislation becomes
law or not.
THE SITUATION IS CRITICAL: PLEASE CALL, FAX AND EMAIL AS MANY ILLINOIS
REPRESENTATIVES YOU CAN FROM THE LIST BELOW TODAY, AND DURING THE NEXT DAYS! ASK
FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBOURS AND WORK/CLASS PARTNERS TO DO THE SAME!!! THE FINAL
VOTE WILL TAKE PLACE AS SOON AS NEXT WEEK AND IT IS EXTREMELLY IMPORTANT THAT
THIS LEGISLATION BECOMES LAW BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE ENDS, BECAUSE IT WILL BLOCK
CAVELīS OPENING BEFORE IT STARTS KILLING HORSES. We only have a few days
remaining to get this bill passed and we need desesperatelly
your help! Be sure to forward this message to all your contacts and all groups
working to end horse slaughter.
Cavelīs powerful lobbyists are working very hard to defeat this legislation
again in the House so we need every support available. It is extremelly
important that all Illinois residents contact them. For those of you who do not
live in Illinois it doesnīt matter you are not an Illinois resident because
horses killed at Cavel will come from all over the country, especially from the
Eastern states, including VA, PA, OH, KY, IN and all New England. If you live in
one of those states your horse is inmediate danger of being stolen and sold for
slaughter! Don't forget to mention this if you don't live in Illinois.
Below it is a list with the Representatives you have to contact. At the end of
this message you can a sample letter with some key points you have to mention
when contacting IL Legislators, do not forget to include them on your faxes,
emails and calls, because they are so very important for lawmakers!
The best way to contact Illinois Legislators is by CALLING them on Monday or
FAXING them to their Springfield offices. Please, do not waste time and start
faxing and emailing them today!!! We need your help to stop horse slaughter and
to prevent Cavel horse slaughterhouse from operating!!!
The names, addresses, phone/fax numbers and email addresses of the members of
the Illinois House of Representatives can been found on:
We have a complete list of contact information for IL Legislators. If you want a
copy, just send a message to fletosojoi@tiscali.es
Do not forget as well to write your Congressmen YOUR US SENATOR ASKING HIM TO
CO-SPONSOR S. 2352 (The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act) AND YOUR
CONGRESSMAN URGING HIM OR TO CO-SPONSOR HR
857 (the House version); Federal bills that will ban horse slaughter in the
whole country as well as the transportation of horses for slaughter in Canada or
Mexico. BE SURE TO ASK YOUR RELATIVES, FRIENDS, NEIGHBOURS AND WORK/CLASS
PARTNERS TO DO THE SAME. If you need more information about bill HR 857 log on
to:
PLEASE CROSSPOST THIS MESSAGE EVERYWHERE!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
COLLABORATION!!!
Daniel Cordero Fernandez
Volunteer for Habitat for Horses
409-935-0277
-------------IL KEY REPS. PHONE AND FAX NUMBERS----------
Phone Fax
Edward Acevedo (217) 782-2855 (217) 782-7762
Patricia Bailey (217) 782-5971 (217) 558-6370
Suzanne Bassi (217) 782-8026 (217) 782-5257
Mark Beaubien (217) 782-1517 (217) 782-3189
Patricia Bellock (217) 782-1448 (217) 782-2289
Toni Berrios (217) 558-1032 (217) 558-7112
Robert Biggins (217) 782-6578 (217) 782-5257
William Black (217) 782-4811 (217) 782-1873
Mike Boland (217) 782-3992 (217) 782-5201
Mike Bost (217) 782-0387 (217) 557-7213
John Bradley (217) 782-1051 (217) 782-0882
Richard Bradley (217) 782-8117 (217) 782-9274
Dan Brady
(217) 782-1118 (217) 558-6271
Rich Brauer (217) 782-0053 (217) 782-0897
James Brosnahan (217) 782-0515 (217) 789-4899
Daniel Burke (217) 782-1117 (217) 782-0927
Ralph Capparelli (217) 782-8198 (217) 782-2906
Robert W. Churchill (217) 782-7320 (217) 557-7213
Annazette Collins (217) 782-8077 (217) 557-7643
Marlow H. Colvin (217) 782-8272 (217) 782-2404
Elizabeth Coulson (217) 782-4194 (217) 782-7613
Tom Cross (217) 782-1331 (217) 782-7012
Shane Cultra (217) 558-1039 (217) 558-1098
Barbara Flynn Currie (217) 782-8121 (217) 524-1794
Lee Daniels (217) 782-4014 (217) 782-3234
Monique Davis (217) 782-0010 (217) 782-1795
Steve Davis (217) 782-5996 (217) 782-1333
William Davis (217) 782-8197 (217) 782-3220
William Delgado (217) 782-0480 (217) 557-9609
Kenneth Dunkin (217) 782-5997 (217) 782-2779
Lisa Dugan (217) 782-5981 (217) 782-0945
Joe Dunn (217) 782-6507 (217) 782-5257
Roger Eddy (217) 558-1040 (217) 558-3481
Bob Flider (217) 782-8398 (217) 782-2528
Jack Franks (217) 782-1717 (217) 557-7203
Paul Froehlich (217) 782-3725 (217) 782-1336
Calvin Giles (217) 782-5962 (217) 782-2779
Colleen Gordon (217) 782-4535 (217) 782-7631
Deborah Graham (217) 782-6400 (217) 558-1054
Kurt Granberg (217) 782-0066 (217) 557-7598
Bill Grunloh (217) 782-2087 (217) 524-0867
Julie Hamos (217) 782-8052 (217) 557-7204
Gary Hannig (217) 782-8071 (217) 524-1794
Brent Hassert (217) 782-4179 (217) 782-1275
Jay Hoffman (217) 782-8018 (217) 557-2763
Thomas Holbrook (217) 782-0104 (217) 782-1333
Constance Howard (217) 782-6476 (217) 782-0952
Randall Hultgren (217) 782-1653 (217) 782-1139
Naomi D. Jakobsson (217) 558-1009 (217) 557-7680
Charles Jefferson (217) 782-3167 (217) 557-7654
Lovana Jones (217) 782-2023 (217) 557-7203
Kevin Joyce (217) 782-8200 (217) 782-6592
Robin Kelly (217) 558-1007 (217) 557-7203
Renee Kosel (217) 782-0424 (217) 557-7249
Louis Lang (217) 782-1252 (217) 782-9903
David Leitch (217) 782-8108 (217) 557-3047
Patricia Lindner (217) 782-1486 (217) 782-1873
Eileen Lyons (217) 782-0494 (217) 557-7209
Joseph Lyons (217) 782-8400 (217) 557-1934
Michael Madigan (217) 782-5350 (217) 524-1794
Sidney Mathias (217) 782-1664 (217) 782-1275
Frank Mautino (217) 782-0140 (217) 557-7680
Karen May (217) 782-0902 (217) 782-3226
Michael McAuliffe (217) 782-8182 (217) 558-1073
Kevin McCarthy (217) 782-3316 (217) 789-6250
Jack McGuire (217) 782-8090 (217) 557-6465
Larry McKeon (217) 782-3835 (217) 557-6470
Susana Mendoza (217) 782-7752 (217) 782-8917
James Meyer (217) 782-8028 (217) 557-7211
John J. Millner (217) 558-1037 none
Bill Mitchell (217) 782-8163 (217) 782-4553
Jerry Mitchell (217) 782-0535 (217) 782-5257
Donald Moffitt (217) 782-8032 (217) 557-0179
Charles Morrow (217) 782-1702 (217) 782-9274
Rosemary Mulligan (217) 782-8007 (217) 782-7613
Ruth Munson (217) 782-8020 none
Richard Myers (217) 782-0416 (217) 557-7211
Elaine Nekritz (217) 558-1004 (217) 557-7204
JoAnn Osmond (217) 782-8151 (217) 557-7207
Harry Osterman (217) 782-8088 (217) 782-3592
Carole Pankau (217) 782-8158 (217) 782-1336
Terry Parke (217) 782-0347 (217) 782-3189
Brandon W. Phelps (217) 782-5131 none
Sandra M. Pihos (217) 782-8037 (217) 588-1072
Raymond Poe (217) 782-0044 (217) 588-1072
Robert Pritchard (217) 782-0425 (217) 557-7205
Dan Reitz (217) 782-1018 (217) 782-0945
Chapin Rose (217) 558-1006 (217) 782-1275
Kathleen Ryg (217) 782-0499 (217) 557-1934
Jim Sacia (217) 782-8186 (217) 558-7016
Skip Saviano (217) 782-3374 (217) 557-7211
Timothy Schmitz (217) 782-5457 (217) 782-1275
George Scully (217) 782-1719 none
Ricca Slone (217) 782-3186 (217) 558-6107
Michael Smith (217) 782-8152 (217) 557-4415
Keith Sommer (217) 782-0221 (217) 782-1275
CynthiaSoto (217) 782-0150 (217) 557-7210
Ron Stephens (217) 782-6401 (217) 557-3047
Ed Sullivan Jr. (217) 782-3696 (217) 558-3539
Arthur Tenhouse (217) 782-8096 (217) 782-7012
Arthur Turner (217) 782-8116 (217) 782-0888
Pat Verschoore (217) 782-5970 (217) 782-8569
Ron Wait (217) 782-0548 (217) 782-1275
Eddie Washington (217) 558-1012 (217) 558-6433
Jim Watson (217) 782-1840 (217) 782-1336
David Winters (217) 782-0455 (217) 782-1139
Wyvetter Younge (217) 782-5951 (217) 782-8794
-----------SAMPLE LETTER TO THE IL REPS & SENATORS---------
(Cut and paste it on a text file, file the gaps and then print and send it. I
encourage you to "customize" it with your own words so the letters do
not look like "form letters"; thanks)
The Honorable ________________
Dear Representative _______________:
I urge you to support HB 649 and its Forth Senate Amendment, the legislation
introduced by Senator Cullerton that will prohibit the slaughter of horses for
human consumption in Illinois and the trade and transport of horseflesh and live
horses intended for human consumption.
I ask you to support and vote for this legislation as being good for IL people,
IL horses and the IL horse industry. Also, please let me take this opportunity
to remember you some of the strong arguments I have to ask you to support it.
Eating horses in America or killing them for human consumption is ethically and
morally unacceptable. Horses in America are considered pets and sport, leisure
animals not food animals. The foreign-owned horse slaughter industry has
slaughtered and exported for human consumption over 3 million American horses in
the last 2 decades. This is intolerable and we should not allow this abominable
practice to continue in Illinois.
Since horses are NOT food animals nor are bred for food or fiber, they are
medicated with VERY POTENT DRUGS, such as dewormers, painkillers, hormones,
anti-inflamatories, pesticides. non-for-human use antibiotics and vaccines that
become resident on their flesh and that are not only VERY STRONG CARCINOGENS but
also EXTREMELLY TOXIC
when consumed by humans. These drugs are already BANNED ON FOOD ANIMALS such as
cows or pigs and this is clearly stated on their packages (NOT FOR USE IN HORSES
INTENDED FOR FOOD). Horse meat poses a great risk for the health of people who
eat it abroad and therefore we must not allow the production and exportation of
this product. It
is unconscionable to allow a food product to be exported for human consumption
that simply is not safe to be consumed.
Since there is no export tariff on horse meat NO profits from this deplorable
business remain in Illinois. In addition, Cavel pays NO state taxes at all.
Therefore, ALL the profits from it are siphoned directly to Belgium, the home
country of Cavel. Also, point out that horses are more valuable for the economy
live than dead: While all the profits from horse slaughter goes to Belgium, the
profits originated by the Illinois horse industry remain in the State adding
lots of millions of dollars to GDP each year and providing jobs for thousands of
people and prosperity to economy of Illinois.
Horses are taxed as a non food and recreational animals, and as such are not
exempt from Illinois sales taxes as are animals that are raised for food. If
horses become part of the "food chain" Illinois will lose millions of
dollars annually in just sales taxes alone.
Horses slaughtered by these foreign-owned industry in the United States have
often been hauled several thousand miles over several days, contrary to
acceptable non-slaughter standards for water, food, and rest. Horses sent to be
slaughtered are often shipped on crowded double deck trucks designed for shorter
necked species such as pigs, cattle and sheep, and are forced to travel in a
bent position which can result in suffering, injury and death.
Callous and extremely inhumane treatment at the slaughterhouse results in
prolonged suffering. Horses endure repeated blows to the head with
stunning equipment that often does not render the animals unconscious and often
horses remain conscious during their own slaughter, including throat slitting.
Horse slaughter is a barbaric, despicable business, and a vast majority of
Americans (over 85% according to recent polls) are
opposed to it, and they, together with the horse industry's professionals and
numerous equine welfare and other humanitarian
organizations, are currently working to get the American Horse Slaughter
Prevention Act (which already has 12 Cosponsors from Illinois) enacted in order
to ban it entirely from this country altogether.
Claims saying that a ban on horse slaughter will lead to an increase on abuse
cases and horses abandoned on streets and fields is false and ridiculous. Since
California passed legislation banning horse slaughter and its transport for
slaughter 6 years ago, horse abuse and starvation cases decreased. Also, during
the last years the number of horses slaughtered decreased dramatically (from
over 300.000 in the 90's to about 50.000 in 2003) and the extra number of horses
that were not slaughtered each year did not cause any increase on abuse or
neglect cases.
Americans do not eat horses; we do not raise our horses for food. The only
reason horse slaughter exists is to satisfy the palates of foreigners who
consider horseflesh a delicacy and the greed of the corporations which provide
it. "Killer buyers" who travel from one auction to the next filling up
their trucks provide the horses for this industry. Others are stolen; even our
federally protected wild horse population can end up there. In addition, horse
slaughter promotes horse theft: Since California banned the slaughter of horses
in 1998, horse theft has decreased over 34%, while the welfare of horses
significantly improved. Also point out that in Texas, where are located of two
only operative horse slaughterhouses remaining in the US horse theft and abuse
are rampant.
Also, in spite of contrary claims, the great majority of the horses slaughtered
are not old, sick, crippled or unwanted, but instead, are young, healthy, fat
American horses, including federally protected wild horses, pregnant mares and
mares with very young foals at their side. There are better ways to deal with
unwanted horses like retraining programs and chemical, painless euthanasia.
In addition, claims saying that banning horse slaughter will lead to a ban on
the slaughter of food producing animals are false and ridiculous. California
banned horse slaughter years ago and since then there were no attacks of any
kind on farmed food animal slaughter.
Horses have played a significant role in the history and culture of the United
States. As a non-food and recreational animal, horses should be protected from
slaughter. Again, I urge you to support and cosponsor HB 649 and its Forth
Senate Amendment, the legislation that will ban the slaughter of horses for
human consumption.
I look forward to receiving a response from you regarding your position on this
issue, which is of importance to me. Thank you for your time and consideration
of my letter.