Thoroughbred Times
Posted: 11/20/2003 12:03:00 PM ET
Illinois horse slaughterhouse may reopen as bill delayed
A delay in voting on a bill to ban horse slaughter for human consumption in Illinois has left the door open for a Belgian-based company to reopen Cavel International, its horse slaughterhouse in DeKalb.

State Representative Robert Molaro (D-Chicago) said that he would not call the bill out of respect for Representative Dave Wirsing (R-Sycamore), the recently deceased lawmaker from the DeKalb area who opposed the legislation.

"I couldn’t, in good conscience, call for a vote on the bill," Molaro told the Bloomington Pantagraph.

The Legislature could take up the issue during its regular session that begins in January, but in the meantime, Cavel International could reopen the facility, which closed last year after a fire. Cavel International would be the third horse slaughter plant in the United States.

Horsemeat is sent to Europe and Japan for human consumption.

The measure banning the slaughter of horses for such consumption had passed to the House floor earlier this week after the House Executive Committee approved the bill on a 7-3 vote.

Horse racing groups have favored the legislation and opposed the reopening of the slaughterhouse