The resumption of commercial horse slaughter in the United States was blocked on Friday, January 17, when President Obama signed a congressional budget bill that removed funding for USDA inspection of horse slaughter plants. This action on the part of Congress and the President effectively takes horse slaughter in this country off the table for now.
Legislation
Federal Judge Rules Twinspires.com Cannot Accept Bets from Texas
The United States District Court of the Western District of Texas (Austin Division) recently held that Churchill Downs subsidiary website, Twinspires.com, is prohibited from accepting wagers from persons living in Texas.
Churchill Downs brought action against the Texas Racing Commission seeking a declaration that the Texas Racing Act’s in-person requirement, under which only a person…
Cat Breeder Jim Smith Explains Evils of Texas Puppy Mill Bill In Response to Texas Tribune Article
Audrey White of the Texas Tribune authored this news story concerning the federal lawsuit over the Texas Puppy Mill Bill. The article reports that the Humane Society of the United States and the Texas Humane Legislation Network filed an amicus brief in the suit supporting the Bill.
The story contains a quote from a representative of…
Texas “Puppy Mill Bill” Challenged in Federal Court
The constitutionality of the hotly-contested “Puppy Mill Bill” passed in the 2011 Texas Legislature has been challenged in a federal suit filed in Austin on October 1, 2012. A copy of the complaint can be downloaded here.
The new law, commonly referred to as the “Puppy Mill Bill”, was passed as HB 1451 and…
Why Banning Horse Slaughter is Such a Terrible Idea
Author’s Note: This post is purely editorial in nature. The views expressed in this post are 100% mine. I have not canvassed my clients or the other members of my firm to get their take on horse slaughter, nor do I intend to do so. My views are not necessarily the views of my clients, my firm, or …
Current Status of Federal Laws Affecting Horse Slaughter
I have been working on a post outlining my personal stance on whether horse slaughter should be resumed in the United States. Last week, we discussed the legal history of horse slaughter in Texas. To provide a more complete backdrop for my upcoming post, I am providing for you this week a summary of federal laws addressing…
Legal Background of Horse Slaughter in Texas
Did you know that horse slaughter for human consumption has technically been illegal in the State of Texas from 1949 to the present? The laws surrounding horse slaughter in the United States are complicated, and they vary from state to state. Below is an overview of the legal history of horse slaughter in Texas, from 1949 to…
Horse Slaughter Among Agenda Items at Texas Senate Committee Meeting
The Texas Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs met this Tuesday to discuss, among other things, the impact of to the closure of horse slaughter facilities on the agricultural sector of the Texas economy. A copy of the meeting notice can be downloaded here.
The Committee heard both invited and public testimony on the…
Horse Slaughter Legislation Update
As of this week, a New Jersey bill prohibiting the slaughter of horses for human consumption has passed both houses of the New Jersey Legislature. If Governor Chris Christie signs the bill, New Jersey will become the fifth state to proscribe horse processing within its borders. California, Texas, Oklahoma, and Illinois have enacted legislation prohibiting horse processing…
Recap of the 2012 Animal Law Institute
Last Friday, for the fourth or fifth time, I attended the annual Animal Law Institute. The Institute is a CLE program put on by Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. It moves around each year, but this year it was at Texas Wesleyan School of Law here in Fort Worth.
You may be wondering, “what…