In the face of opposition, Montana lawmaker predicts horse slaughterhouses will return

A Montana state representative says he is confident investors he's working with will soon open several horse slaughtering plants in the U.S. and possibly one in his home state. Republican Rep. Ed Butcher, who wrote a 2009 state law promoting construction of a horse-slaughter plant in Montana, says his plan remains on track though a potential site in Hardin has fallen through because of official opposition, Ed Kemmick of The Billings Gazette reports.

"In March the Hardin City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting facilities that would slaughter more than 25 animals within any seven-day period from opening in Hardin," Kemmick writes. Mayor Kim Hammond said the law was in response to the strain such a facility would put on the city's water system, not a "do-gooder" law. Butcher declined to list his other promising Montana sites, saying, "We’d get all the nutcases out there harassing the community." (Read more)

Meanwhile the Florida legislature has unanimously approved a measure that would make horse slaughter a felony, Robert Samuel reports for the St. Petersburg Times. The bill must still be signed into law by Gov. Charlie Crist. A Tennessee bill that would pave the way for horse slaughter facilities appears destined for summer review instead of a vote before the legislative session is adjourned, WKRN of Nashville reports.