story by Chas Sisk of The Tennessean
“Ag Gag” Provision Could be Unconstitutional
A bill that would require plaintiffs trying to halt horse slaughter facilities to post large bonds up front probably violates the state constitution, the attorney general says.
House Bill 3619, which requires people who sue horse slaughters to post a bond equal to 20 percent of the estimated cost of building a horse slaughterhouse, is constitutionally suspect under Tennessee’s Open Courts Clause, Attorney General Robert Cooper says in an opinion released Thursday.
Article 1, section 17 of Tennessee’s constitution says, “That all courts shall be open; and every man, for an injury done him in his lands, goods, person or reputation, shall have remedy by due course of law, and right and justice administered without sale, denial or delay.”
The federal government stopped funding for inspections of horse slaughterhouses in 2006, effectively killing the industry in the United States, but some Tennessee lawmakers have pressed for horse slaughter legislation in case it is revived.
Advocates say domestic horse slaughter would allow for more humane destruction of horses and keep horses from being shipped instead to Canada and Mexico. Opponents say horse slaughterhouses cause environmental problems and that horse slaughter practices are inhumane.
A vote on the bill has been scheduled in the state House of Representatives for Monday. No action has been taken on the measure in the Senate.
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
OF COURSE IT IS!!! Or it had better be. Any company that has something to hide should not be selling food or goods in the US.
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I live in TN and I can tell you there is a good deal of opposition to this law. Of course, there’s horse breeders that are for it.
But this is yet another law born of lobbyists with deep pockets, so who knows what will happen.
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i pray to God it does not get started. your good people will fight it !
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This bill will not make it most likely and if it does it will be shot down for Constitutional reasons. It is once again about corrupt politicians backing a minority industry because of greed by them both. The voice of the majority is strong and will become stronger in the days a head. My prayer is that it comes quickly in strength, for each day it takes, costs thousands of horses their lives in the name of greed.
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Anyone in TN needs to be at the Capital, at 10:45 Holt is going to introduce another bill, no one knows what the contents of the bill are, he refuses to even tell his fellow republicans. Rumor is he will pull this bill and introduce the new one at the last minute. Any new bills must be submitted by 11:00am on Monday. He’s trying to slip a fast one in supported by Nicely.
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I am certain there were attorneys lined up to fight this if it did go through. If this passed and stood it would set a very bad precedent indeed. This would effectively take away the right to seek redress from anyone but the wealthy.
Am waiting to see what that bill that Holt has up his sleazy little sleeve contains.
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Reblogged this on STOP ANIMAL ABUSE.
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If we, as concerned, American citizens, allow this horrid animal abuse to re-start in this country, America is heading to hell on a one-way path to self-destruction! This is deplorable, this is sick, this is not the “way” to get rid of living, feeling creatures that we don’t “want” anymore, or that some feel are “over-populated”, or of “no use”, or, maybe just old, worn out, or sick (though that last catagory are few & far between). I don’t get the reasoning of those who support this issue, perhaps it’s because those humans have lost their ability to reason, they’ve lost their ability to feel, to care, or to show mercy, compassion or empathy towards fellow living beings, whether animal or human? It failed before, why do they now “think” it’s “the answer”? Are they really that stupid? By re-opening horse slaughter in the United States, regardless of what becomes of the brutally killed horses, they are destroying lives, communities, tourism in & around that area, &, the environment. It’s way past time for all of us to quit being a throw-away society, or next it’ll be our elderly parents, grandparents, sickly relatives, us, someone else we love, or our other pets/family members like our dogs & cats. Yeah, don’t want ’em no more? Just throw them out, or send them to slaughter, who cares, right? WRONG!!!!
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First thing that comes to mind is–if they do find it Constitutionally invalid–that could set precedence to reversing “Red” Butcher’s bill.
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Very interesting…As the fight gets bigger, more money is thrown at the evil ones. Illinois closed the slaughter house there in 2007, but yet we still have some state Legislators that keep trying to open
the House of Terror in DeKalb, Illinois. Its about time that the Legislators in Washington, DC start
fulfilling the wishes of their constituents..Elections are right around the corner…If they are running for re-election see what the other candidates are offering and what their stance is on this very
serious issue. If their vote is on the wrong side – Get Rid of the Bums!!! I am tired of sending people to Washington, D.C. when they have their own agenda and NOT OURS!!!
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