Texas House Floor, May 24, 2003
Rep. Toby Goodman’s Motion to Reconsider adoption of SB 1413
Transcribed from http://www.house.state.tx.us/media/chamber/78.htm

Toby Goodman: Mr. Speaker, Members, I move to reconsider the vote by which Senate Bill 1413 passed to engrossment. The reason for this is there was an amendment placed on that bill that repeals Chapter 149 of the Agriculture Code which makes horsemeat consumption legal in Texas , and I would like to reconsider that amendment.

Chairman Tom Craddick: The Chair recognizes Mr. Hardcastle in opposition.

Rick Hardcastle: Mr. Speaker, Members, the horsemeat bill’s already passed this House once. The amendment that we put in that code gives us room to work in conference and gives me a little leverage in the Senate where we’ve been working all day today to get Ms. Brown’s original bill heard in its full form and fashion, and the worst thing a politician can say is, folks, stay with me on this, and trust me, because we’re not gonna allow the horsemeat to be used for human consumption in the United States, but we need to leave that amendment in the bill as it is so we can go to conference and fix it right, or so that we’ve got enough leverage to get Ms. Brown’s bill voted on in the committee. It’s a straight up and down vote, and if it doesn’t pass the Senate we’re through messing with it, and it’ll come out anyway. If they don’t vote on it, I’m gonna use this for all the leverage I can. So I ask you to stay with me on the vote. We’re gonna not reconsider this bill, and let it go. Thank you.

Charlie Howard: Haven’t we already voted this once? That we said that we were gonna allow Ms. Brown’s bill to pass? We passed it, and this is all we’re doing?

Hardcastle: We passed it out of this House by 86 votes. It passed out. It was debated. Everybody should know what the issue is by now. This just allows me the leverage to try to get the Senate to do a straight up and down vote on the bill.

Howard: Mr. Hardcastle, I think you need all the leverage you can get, and I’m willing to give it to you.

Hardcastle: Thank you, Mr. Howard.

Craddick: The Chair recognizes Mr. Goodman.

Goodman: Mr. Speaker, Members, I don’t think Rick Hardcastle needs leverage in the Texas Senate. I don’t think there’s a member of this House that needs leverage in the Texas Senate. This amendment got on. It was not explained. It legalizes the consumption of horsemeat in Texas . That’s what it does. That’s been outlawed in this State since 1949, and it was stuck on as a repealer, an Amendment No. 2. It’s not germane to this bill, and it needs to be stripped out of the bill. That’s why I’m up here moving to reconsider.

Howard: Mr. Goodman, you said that it doesn’t need any leverage. You know that the bill’s been held up in the Senate by Senator ..uh..West (sic), so how can you say that it doesn’t need any leverage?

Goodman: The Senate is an independent body, as everybody knows. The bill has to pass the House and the Senate. What the Senate does is the Senate’s business.

Howard: This shows that we want this bill, and it will help him get us there, and we don’t need to reconsider this vote. Thank you.

Betty Brown: I think that everyone in here feels like they’ve heard more than they want to hear about this subject. We’ve spoken once on it, and the question now is, do we want the animals rights people to set ag policy for our State from now on? Or do we want…. or do we want the people that are involved in agriculture and agriculture related industry in our State who deal with this issue all the time and know the most about it, for them to make the decisions about the future of ag policy in our State. That’s what it boils down to. I urge you to vote against…

Goodman: Betty, you’re wrong. Betty, you’re just wrong. You’re right. You did pass a bill out of here allowing two existing plants, the only two in the country, to process horse meat, ship it to Europe and Japan so the French and the Belgians and the Japanese people can eat it, but there was never a bill passed out of this House to legalize the consumption of horse meat in Texas. And that’s what this amendment does, and you know it.

Brown: It would if it were left as it is, but we already have a commitment from our Ag Chairman that that’s not the way it’s gonna be final. It’s just that this happens to be the only avenue left to us to get it out of here and get it to a point where we can get reasonable people working on it and get it in some form.

Goodman: It’s not even germane to this bill.

Brown: Oh yes it is.

Goodman: No it’s not.

Brown: It is because it deals with that section of the Ag Code. The Chairman has decided to delete that from the Ag Code.

Goodman: Vote to reconsider. We’ll see if it’s germane.

Brown: That’s right. It’s part of the bill. It’s not an issue now. So I move that we…uh…ha…against tabling. Vote No, Members, please. Thank you.

Goodman: Members, I ask you to vote yes on the motion to reconsider.

Craddick: Mr. Goodman moves to reconsider Senate Bill 1413. It’s a record vote. All those in favor vote Aye, all those opposed vote No. The Clerk will ring the bell. Show Mr. Goodman voting Aye. Vote from your desks, Members, we’re still under strict enforcement. Have all members voted? Have all members voted? 45 ayes, 72 nays, 2 present not voting. The motion fails to adopt.