Ohio Horseman’s Council Fall 2011 Legislative Report

From OEIC~Governor Kasich has signed into law a bill that allows racetracks to operate video lottery terminals (VLT’s) at all seven Ohio racetracks. It also provides for the relocation of these tracks with the approval of the Ohio Racing Commission (ORC).

This law has been long sought after by the race horse industry in Ohio to restore and maintain competitiveness with surrounding states. There are huge sums of money involved (the VLT play at each track is estimated to be around $180 million) and through a complex and negotiated process overseen by the ORC, some of this money will “trickle down” and eventually be available to the horse industry in general to promote the welfare of horses. The OEIC will be involved in this process and will have input on how these monies are dispersed.

Horse Slaughter~The General Accounting Office (GAO) has issued a report documenting and confirming a significant decline in the welfare of horses and the horse industry in general since the closure of horse processing plants in the US. As a direct result of these closures, there are over 300,000 unwanted horses in the US with 130,000 sent outside the US for slaughter annually.

Several states are moving to open horse processing facilities but need (and are willing to pay for) USDA meat inspection on site. Reopening horse processing facilities in the US will revive a $112 billion industry, add $2 billion in tax revenues and immediately create over 1000 jobs in states where they are sorely needed. A rising tide floats all ships and all aspects of the horse industry will benefit from the opening of these plants.

HR 503~Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 designed to prevent transportation of horses for slaughter is still active and a new bill HR 2966 - American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 (S-1176) has been recently introduced to ban horse processing nationally. Language has also been inserted into omnibus agriculture budgets to defund USDA inspection of horse meat and effectively block a reintroduction of horse processing. Animal rights groups have made biased emotional appeals to gain the support of animal rescues and the general public. However, a predominant majority of horse owners and over 230 horse organizations oppose these bills because they offer no real solutions to the problem of unwanted horses.

Right now the animal rights groups (HSUS) have the ear of Congress, but they pay no taxes, spend no money, create no jobs and offer no real solutions for improving the welfare of horses. In fact, their intervention has had the opposite effect. Horse owners have not had a voice or a vote on this matter which is an infringement of our constitutional rights.

As it stands right now, the House Ag budget does include language to ban inspection but the Senate budget does not. They will be meeting shortly to reconcile these budgets and decide to either fund or not fund USDA horse meat inspection. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Steve LaTourette are both on the committee to reconcile the budget. We need you to contact these congressmen and urge them to keep the language out. HSUS and other animal rights groups have a well-funded and organized campaign to contact them and urge them to keep this language in.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D – OH) 202-224-2315
Rep. Steve LaTourette (OH 14th Dist.) 202-225-5731

To e-mail these gentlemen, google their names, go to their websites and use their link to contact them.