AR-News: (IL - US) Urgent update on Horse Slaughter!!!

Tue Nov 4 14:16:32 EST 2003

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  Subj:    Urgent Update...We Are WINNING THE BATTLE/Please Cross Post . 
  Date:    11/5/2003 12:42:31 AM Eastern Standard Time 
  From:    Annabell81824 
  To:    Annabell81824 

URGENT UPDATE ON HORSE SLAUGHTER!!! HB 3845 BECOMES AMENDMENT TO SB 
1921!!! 

Illinois House Bill 3845 (HB 3845), the bill to ban horse slaughter 
in Illinois and to prevent Belgian owned Cavel horse slaughterhouse 
from operating, has becomed an AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1921 (SB 
1921). This new bill will have an SPECIAL HEARING THIS WEDNESDAY!!! 
If it is passed by Wednesday´s Committee it will be voted by the 
Senate on the Hearings scheduled by November 17-19. 

THE SITUATION IS CRITICAL!!! SUPPORT IS DESESPERATELY NEEDED FOR THIS 
NEW BILL. PLEASE, FAX, MAIL, CALL AND EMAIL TO BOTH ILLINOIS STATE 
SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES TODAY AND DURING THE NEXT WEEKS ASKING 
THEM TO SUPPORT AND VOTE FOR SB 1921 AND FOR THE "SAVE THE HORSES 
FROM SLAUGHTER" AMENDMENT!!!! ASK FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBOURS AND 
WORK/CLASS PARTNERS TO DO THE SAME!!! 

Special pressure must be added on the SENATORS, ESPECIALLY THOSE 
MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITEE, AND ON THE SPEAKER OF THE 
HOUSE, MICHAEL MADIGAN (ASKING HIM ALSO TO GIVE A HEARING ON THIS 
BILL ON THE VETO SESSION) 

The best way to contact Illinois Legislators is by FAXING, SNAIL 
MAILING AND CALLING TO BOTH THEIR SPRINGFIELD AND DISTRICT OFFICES. 
Please, do not waste time and start faxing and calling today!!! We 
need your help to stop horse slaughter and to prevent Cavel horse 
slaughterhouse from operating. 

The names, addresses, and phone/fax numbers of members of the 
illinois Senate and House of Representatives 

http://www.legis.state.il.us/senate/ 
http://www.legis.state.il.us/house/ 
http://www.kaufmanzoning.net/horsemeat/IllinoisAssembly.htm 

A list of the members of the Senate´s Agriculture Committee can be 
found at the bottom of this action alert. It can be also found at: 

http://www.legis.state.il.us/senate/committees/members.asp?
CommitteeID=52 

A list of email addresses for the Senators is available at: 

http://kidsroe.org/kids/senators.cfm 

The one for the Representatives can be found at: 

http://kidsroe.org/kids/representatives.cfm 

Below you can find a short list of contact information of the members 
of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a sample of letter/fax. 

PLEASE CROSSPOST THIS MESSAGE EVERYWHERE!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 
YOUR COLLABORATION!!! 

Daniel Cordero Fernández. 

---------IL SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITEE CONTACT INFO----------- 

Senator Lawrence M. Walsh (D) 
43rd District 

Springfield Office: 
Senator 43rd District 
129 Capitol Building 
Springfield, IL 62706 
(217) 782-8800 

District Office: 
1100 Plainfield Road 
Joliet, IL 60435 
(815) 722-4200 
(815) 722-4657 FAX 

Senator John M. Sullivan (D) 
47th District 

Springfield Office: 
Senator 47th District 
113 Capitol Building 
Springfield, IL 62706 
(217) 782-2479 

District Office: 
926 Broadway 
Suite 6 
Quincy, IL 62301 
(217) 222-2295 
(217) 222-2944 FAX 

Senator Gary Forby (D) 
59th District 

Springfield Office: 
Senator 59th District 
M115 Capitol Building 
Springfield, IL 62706 
(217) 782-5509 

District Office: 
903 W. Washington St. 
Suite 5 
Benton, IL 62812 
(618) 439-2504 
(618) 438-3704 FAX 

Senator Debbie DeFrancesco Halvorson (D) 
40th District 
Majority Caucus Chair 

Springfield Office: 
Senator 40th District 
623 Capitol Building 
Springfield, IL 62706 
(217) 782-7419 

District Office: 
241 West Joe Orr Rd. 
Chicago Heights, IL 60411 
(708) 756-0882 
(708) 756-0885 FAX 

Senator James T. Meeks (I) 
15th District 

Springfield Office: 
Senator 15th District 
M121 Capitol Building 
Springfield, IL 62706 
(217) 782-8066 

District Office: 
2050 E. 159th Street 
Calumet City, IL 60409 
(708) 862-1515 
(708) 862-4745 FAX 

Senator John O. Jones (R) 
54th District 

Springfield Office: 
Senator 54th District 
103D Capitol Building 
Springfield, IL 62706 
(217) 782-0471 

District Office: 
2929 Broadway 
P.O. Drawer 1787 
Mt. Vernon, IL 62864 
(618) 242-9511 
(618) 242-9516 FAX 

Senator Larry K. Bomke (R) 
50th District 

Springfield Office: 
Senator 50th District 
105D Capitol Building 
Springfield, IL 62706 
(217) 782-0228 

District Office: 
105D Capitol Building 
Springfield, IL 62706 
(217) 782-0228 
(217) 782-5406 FAX 
Additional District Addresses 

Senator Bill Brady (R) 
44th District 

Springfield Office: 
Senator 44th District 
105A Capitol Building 
Springfield, IL 62706 
(217) 782-6216 

District Office: 
2203 Eastland Drive 
Suite 3 
Bloomington, IL 61704 
(309) 664-4440 
(309) 664-8597 FAX 

Senator David Luechtefeld (R) 
58th District 
Assistant Minority Leader 

Springfield Office: 
Senator 58th District 
103B Capitol Building 
Springfield, IL 62706 
(217) 782-8137 

District Office: 
700 North Front Street 
Okawville, IL 62271 
(618) 243-9014 
(618) 243-5376 FAX 

----------------SAMPLE LETTER TO THE IL SENATORS--------------- 

(Cut and paste it on a text file, file the gaps, change the address 
and then print it 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 ________________ 
<Fill in with the address> 

Dear Senator _______________: 

I urge you to support S.B. 1921 and its "Save the Horses from 
Slaughter" Amendment, an amendment introduced by Representative 
Robert S. Molaro that would prohibit the slaughter of horses for 
human consumption in Illinois and the trade and transport of 
horseflesh and live horses intended for human consumption. 

The foreign-owned horse slaughter industry has slaughtered and 
exported for human consumption over 3 million American horses in the 
last 2 decades. One of these slaughter plants, the Belgian owned 
Cavel International, Inc., is trying to rebuild its facilities in 
DeKalb, Illinois. Please, do not let this happen! 

Horses slaughtered in these foreign-owned plants 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 are opposed to it, and they, together with 
numerous equine and other organizations, are currently working to get 
the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (which has 6 Cosponsors 
from Illinois) enacted in order to ban it entirely from this country 
altogether. 

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. "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 30%. 

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 American horses, including federally protected wild 
horses, pregnant mares and mares with very young foals at their side. 

Because horses in America are not food animals, veterinarians 
commonly prescribe and treat horses with potent drugs that may reside 
in the horseflesh and be dangerous when consumed by humans. 

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 S.B. 1921 and the "Save the Horses from Slaughter 
Amendment". 

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. 

Sincerely, 