OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma could soon allow the slaughter of horses for human consumption, ending a ban that has been in place in the state for close to 50 years, under a pair of bills easily approved Wednesday in the Oklahoma Legislature.
Both the House and Senate passed separate bills that would end the ban and allow a horse slaughtering plant to open in the state. Both measures still would ban the sale of horse meat for consumption in Oklahoma, but would allow for the meat to be exported to other countries.
Rep. Skye McNiel said passage of the bill could provide a humane option for unwanted, aging horses, many of which are abandoned or eventually shipped to horse slaughtering facilities in Mexico. She said where she lives in rural Oklahoma, older horses often are abandoned on dead end roads or pastures by people who can no longer afford to care for them.
Opening a slaughterhouse for the iconic animal with an integral part in the state’s history sends a bad message to the rest of the country, argued Rep. David Dank.
“We’re talking about image here,” said Dank, ROklahoma City. “I don’t want people talking about Oklahoma as the state where you’re slaughtering horses.”
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 14 on 02/22/2013