ACTION ALERT

Texas horses are once again in need of our aid. A number of bills are in need of our attention. The focus is on SB 911 and HB2543 with the potential to bring horse slaughter back to Texas. We need your help to keep that from happening. Also attention is need for HB2328 with the potential to improve current animal cruelty laws in.

Read on for further details.

Willie Nelson Speaks Out About Texas Legislation

"The last place in the world I thought would ever support horse slaughter is my home state," said country music legend Willie Nelson of Luck, Texas.  "No other animal symbolizes the spirit of Texas better than the horse.  This is why opposition to horse slaughter is so strong in Texas. We are aware of the overwhelming cruelty horses face on the trip to the slaughterhouse, and we do not mistake slaughter for euthanasia."

Early this year, a federal appellate court ruled that a 1949 Texas statute prohibits slaughtering horses for human consumption.  However, just last week, the state Senate passed an amendment to legalize horse slaughter.  Ironically, the sponsor of the amendment didn't even tell his colleagues what the amendment was, he called it something entirely different.

Nelson noted that "since the Bills introduced by the horse slaughter plants to legalize horse slaughter in Texas had gone nowhere, the pro-horse slaughter lobby realized that they could not legalize horse slaughter through normal legislative channels, so they reverted to this backup strategy of amending other legislation."

The slaughterhouses and their few supporters claim that by closing these Texas based foreign-owned plants horses will face a far more cruel trip to Mexico.  But we know they are the ones who are subjecting the horses to this fate.  

Opposition to horse slaughter is very strong.   A 2003 Texas poll showed that 72 percent of Texans oppose horse slaughter for human consumption, and 77 percent opposed changing the state law.   A nationwide poll found similar numbers in support for ending horse slaughter.   

"Now is the time for Texans and all American's to call the Texas legislature and express their support for keeping horse slaughter illegal in Texas," urged Nelson. "I call on our legislators to listen to the will of Texans. Legislators should oppose any amendment or bill that would attempt to legalize the killing of horses for human consumption." An Update on HB 2328.
 
The bill was passed out of the Senate Criminal Justice Commitee. The new Texas Animal Cruelty bill will go before the full Senate for a vote shortly. Please call your State Senator today and urge him/her to vote in favor of HB 2328.

Thanks to the Texas Humane Legislative Network and the efforts of everyone that called, faxed and emailed, the changes we fought against, like the law allowing horse tripping, have been removed. Those items that had previously been removed, such as the section on "cruelly confined, were added back in, plus for the first time ever, "torture" is clearly defined, adding to our ability to aid law enforcement in prosecuting these cases.
 
We're only two steps away from passing a greatly improved Animal Cruelty Statute for Texas. Please help us get through the home stretch by calling your Senator and asking that this bill be passed.
The list of Senators and their contact information is listed at the end of this notice. Please contact them today.

SB 911 Amendment Stripped

As you know, Texas Senator Hegar of Katy tried a backdoor tactic of adding language onto Senate Bill 911 allowing for horse slaughter to be legal in Texas. The actual bill was a simple bill allowing for the continued operation of the Texas Animal Health Commission. Hegar's amendment was added on after the bill had cleared.

We have every reason to believe that the pro-slaughter folks will continue to try attaching amendments to various bills, both ignoring the current law and the will of the people of this state. The current bill will be in the Calendar's Committee (the committee that sends bills to the floor for votes). We need to contact all the members of the committee and ask that SB 911 NOT be sent to the floor for a final vote!

Please see the contact list for the House Commitee on Calendars below:

House Committee on Calendars

Beverly Woolley (R), Chair
Dist. 136 - Harris (part)
Capitol Office:   GS.2
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0696
Capitol Fax: (512) 463-9333
Email:  beverly.woolley@house.state.tx.us

Norma Chávez (D), Vice Chair
Dist. 76 - El Paso (part)
Capitol Office:   GN.12
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0622
Capitol Fax: (512) 478-6755
Toll Free: (888) 209-7618
Email:  norma.chavez@house.state.tx.us

Dan Branch (R)
Dist. 108 - Dallas (part)
Capitol Office:   E2.322
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0367
Fax: (512) 322-9935
Email:  dan.branch@house.state.tx.us

Myra Crownover (R)
Dist. 64 - Denton (part)
Capitol Office:   E2.508
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0582
Capitol Fax: (512) 463-0471
Email:  myra.crownover@house.state.tx.us

Dawnna M. Dukes (D)
Dist. 46 - Travis (part)
Capitol Office:   E1.504
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0506
Capitol Fax: (512) 463-7864
Email:  dawnna.dukes@house.state.tx.us

Gary Elkins (R)
Dist. 135 - Harris (part)
Capitol Office:   E1.408
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0722
Capitol Fax: (512) 472-5610
Email:  Gary.Elkins@house.state.tx.us

Ryan Guillen (D)
Dist. 31 - Duval, Starr, Webb (part), Zapata
Capitol Office:   E2.210
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0416
Capitol Fax: (512) 463-1012
Email:  ryan.guillen@house.state.tx.us

Mike Hamilton (R)
Dist. 19 - Hardin, Newton, Orange (part)
Capitol Office:   E2.310
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0412
Capitol Fax: (512) 463-1915
Email:  mike.hamilton@house.state.tx.us

Larry Taylor (R)
Dist. 24 - Galveston (part)
Capitol Office:   E2.610
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0729
Capitol Fax: (512) 474-2398
Email:  larry.taylor@house.state.tx.us

Sylvester Turner (D)
Dist. 139 - Harris (part)
Capitol Office:   1N.8
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0554
Capitol Fax: (512) 463-8380
Toll Free: (866) 886-8900
Corbin Van Arsdale (R)

Dist. 130 - Harris (part)
Capitol Office:   E2.810
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0661
Capitol Fax: (512) 463-4130
Email:  corbin.van_arsdale@house.state.tx.us
Clerk:  Amy Ehlert
Capitol Office:  E2.140
(512) 463-0758

Texas Senate

The mailing address for all Senators in Austin is:

               P.O. Box 12068
               Austin, Texas 78711-2068

Phone, fax and email are below:

Senator   
Phone / Fax    Email

Kip Averitt (R)   
  (512) 463-0122 / 475-3729 kip.averitt@senate.state.tx.us
Kenneth "Kim" Brimer (R)
  (512) 463-0110 / 475-3745 kim.brimer@senate.state.tx.us
John J. Carona (R)
  (512) 463-0116 / 463-3135 john.carona@senate.state.tx.us
Robert F. Deuell (R)
  (512) 463-0102 / 463-7202 robert.deuell@senate.state.tx.us
Robert Duncan (R)
  (512) 463-0128 / 463-2424 robert.duncan@senate.state.tx.us
Kevin P. Eltife (R)
  (512) 463-0101 / 475-3751 kevin.eltife@senate.state.tx.us
Craig Estes (R)
  (512) 463-0130 / 463-8874 craig.estes@senate.state.tx.us
Troy Fraser (R)
  (512) 463-0124 / 475-3732 troy.fraser@senate.state.tx.us
Mario Gallegos (D)
  (512) 463-0106 / 463-0346 mario.gallegos@senate.state.tx.us
Chris Harris (R)
  (512) 463-0109 / 463-7003 chris.harris@senate.state.tx.us
Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D)
  (512) 463-0120 / 463-0229 juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us
Mike Jackson (R)
  (512) 463-0111 / 475-3727 mike.jackson@senate.state.tx.us
Kyle Janek (R)
  (512) 463-0117 / 463-0639 kyle.janek@senate.state.tx.us
Eddie Lucio (D)
  (512) 463-0127 / 463-0061 eddie.lucio@senate.state.tx.us
Jane Nelson (R)
  (512) 463-0112 / 463-0923 jane.nelson@senate.state.tx.us
Robert Nichols (R)
  (512) 463-0103 / 463-1526 robert.nichols@senate.state.tx.us
Steve Ogden (R)
  (512) 463-0105 / 463-5713 steve.ogden@senate.state.tx.us
Dan Patrick (R)
(512) 463-0107  dan.patrick@senate.state.tx.us
Kel Seliger (R)
  (512) 463-0131 / 475-3733 kel.seliger@senate.state.tx.us
Florence Shapiro (R)
  (512) 463-0108 / 463-7579 florence.shapiro@senate.state.tx.us
Eliot Shapleigh (D)
  (512) 463-0129 / 463-0218 eliot.shapleigh@senate.state.tx.us
Carlos I. Uresti (D)
  (512) 463-0119 / 463-1017 carlos.uresti@senate.state.tx.us
Leticia Van de Putte (D)
  (512) 463-0126 / 463-2114 leticia.vandeputte@senate.state.tx.us
Kirk Watson (D)
  (512) 463-0114 / 463-5949 kirk.watson@senate.state.tx.us
Jeff Wentworth (R)
  (512) 463-0125 / 463-7794 jeff.wentworth@senate.state.tx.us
Royce West (D)
  (512) 463-0123 / 463-0299 royce.west@senate.state.tx.us
Tommy Williams (R)
  (512) 463-0104 / 463-6373 tommy.williams@senate.state.tx.us
Judith Zaffirini (D)
  (512) 463-0121 / 475-3738 judith.zaffirini@senate.state.tx.us