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The
Illinois Senate on Wednesday approved a measure that would
ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption, likely
forcing the closure of Cavel International in DeKalb, Ill.
— the nation's last such plant.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 100,800
horses were slaughtered in the United States for human consumption
last year. In addition to the DeKalb facility, there had
been two horse slaughterhouses in Texas, but both were shut
down under a court order earlier this year.
Cavel had recently received a reprieve from a federal appeals
judge, which allowed the plant to reopen after a lower court's
ruling had stopped federal inspection of horses. (See Last
U.S. horse slaughterhouse still standing , Meatingplace.com
, May 4, 2007.)
The Illinois House has also passed the measure in question.
An aide for Gov. Rod Blagojevich indicated the governor
would sign the bill.
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