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Guest blog by Sherry Rout, ASPCA Government Relations State Legislative Director, Southern Region

Animal abuse is atrocious and perpetrators of abuse should be stopped. Furthermore, mistreatment of farm animals can be a serious threat to our food supply. Unfortunately, the Tennessee legislature doesn’t think so—and it would rather attack the people who report animal cruelty, food safety violations and other problems in agricultural settings.

Earlier this week, S.B. 1248/H.B. 1191— legislation that protects animal abusers and preserves the chronic mistreatment of livestock and horses—passed both houses of the Tennessee legislature.   

On the Senate floor, when asked about the true intent of the legislation, the bill’s sponsor Senator Delores Gresham replied that the intent is to “stop the abuse.” In a House committee hearing, however, the House sponsor was more truthful: After listing the various industrial agriculture entities in the state that stand to benefit from this legislation, Rep. Holt stated: “The intention of this bill was to guard the economic value of these industries.” So, there we have it: The true intent of the bill, as stated by the House sponsor, is to protect industrial agriculture.

Undercover investigations are not meant to bankrupt industrial agriculture. Comprehensive investigations are intended to document chronic patterns of animal abuse that alert the public to these problems and, when the conditions are illegal, result in more convictions of abusers. This is the goal that Sen. Gresham says she is seeking. Greater transparency of conditions also protects consumers from animals that, if allowed into our food supply, could make Tennessee residents and those outside of our borders gravely ill.  S.B. 1248/H.B. 1191 puts consumers at risk of becoming ill, criminalizes whistleblowers and allows animal abusers the opportunity to claim, “this was a one-time incident,” which will likely result in a slap on the wrist and will not prevent future animal suffering.

In a 2012 poll commissioned by the ASPCA and conducted by Lake Research Partners, it was revealed that 94% of Americans feel that it is important to have measures in place to ensure that food coming from farm animals is safe for people to eat. Additionally, 71% of adult Americans support undercover investigations to expose farm animal abuse on industrial farms, and 94%agree that animals raised for food on farms deserve to be free from abuse and cruelty.   

The infringement on First Amendment rights posed by bills similar to the one passed by the Tennessee legislature flies in the face of one of the bedrock beliefs of our country. It is my hope that Governor Bill Haslam will see this disingenuous legislation for what it is—an unconstitutional measure meant to protect industrial agriculture at the cost of consumer health, protect criminals, and criminalize those who seek to expose them. We should be protecting our food supply and applauding whistleblowers, not punishing them.   

Tennessee residents, please call Governor Haslam at (615) 741-2001 and urge him to veto this disastrous bill. You may also email the governor at bill.haslam@tn.gov.

Great news! Federal money for inspecting horse slaughter plants in the United States could soon be off the table, which would prevent the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. President Obama’s newly released FY 2014 budget proposal includes a request for Congress to block spending by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to inspect U.S. horse slaughter plants.

In 2005, a similar spending prohibition was passed by landslide, bipartisan votes in the House and Senate, shutting down horse slaughter operations in the U.S. However, it was not renewed in 2011, which created the potential for horse slaughter plants to reopen—at the expense of American taxpayers. Horse slaughter proponents wasted no time scouting locations: at least six applications to slaughter horses for human consumption have already been filed with the USDA.

“We are grateful to the White House and USDA for their leadership in ensuring that American horses are not slaughtered on our own soil for foreign demand, especially in light of the daily news from Europe about the horrors of discovering horse meat mixed with frozen lasagna and toxic chemicals in horse flesh sold for food,” says Nancy Perry, Senior Vice President of ASPCA Government Relations. “Wasting tax dollars on cruel and dangerous practices makes no sense, and we urge Congress to adopt this budget cut.”

Help us ensure that Capitol Hill hears the message to protect our horses, both here and abroad! The pro-slaughter industry will lobby intensely against this newest effort to prohibit federal dollars from being spent on horse slaughter, and our goal is to stop all American horses from experiencing the horrors of slaughter wherever it occurs, so we must continue to support the SAFE Act.

When the news broke that New Mexico could be weeks away from opening a horse slaughter plant, our hearts went out not only to the horses who would fall victim to gruesome deaths, but also to the citizens of New Mexico. If the plant opens, New Mexico’s reputation will be blackened by its association with the incredible cruelty inherent to this grisly industry—and its citizens will be burdened by the economic peril, decline in property values, chronic environmental hazards and awful stench that horse slaughter plants bring to communities.

There is a broad consensus in this nation that horses should not be slaughtered for human consumption—and New Mexico is no exception. A new statewide poll shows that 70% of New Mexico voters are opposed to the slaughter of U.S. horses for human consumption and do not want a horse slaughter plant in their community. This strong opposition is represented across political parties, ethnicities and locations within the state.

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Fortunately, we have a chance to stand up for horses and communities like Roswell, New Mexico, that would be plagued by the resumption of horse slaughter in the United States. The ASPCA works closely with federal legislators and other advocacy groups in support of the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, a federal bill to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the U.S. and their export for that purpose abroad. Please visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to urge your U.S. senators and representative to support and cosponsor the SAFE Act.

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month is in full swing! Are you ready to Go Orange and show your love for animals all April long? Now through April 23, take 20% off Go Orange products in the ASPCA Online Store by using the code GoOrange20.

From ASPCA-orange Frisbees, bandanas and leashes for fun in the sun with your furry friends, to hats and polo shirts for pet parents, we’ve got you covered!

There’s still plenty of time for you—and your pets—to celebrate Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month and wear your love for animals on your sleeve. Shop the ASPCA Online Store today!