JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri House has sent a bill to the Senate that would allow horse slaughtering in Missouri.
On a 91-61 vote, the Republican-controlled House passed the legislation Thursday.
The legislation seeks to bypass a federal ban on meat inspectors working in horse slaughtering plants by getting processors to pay for the inspections at the state level.
Under the bill, meat processors would pay into a fund to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, which would pass the inspection fees on to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Sponsoring Rep. Jim Viebrock, R-Republic, said USDA would then have a funding source to pay for inspections of horse meat, which is a delicacy in Europe and Asia. Read more…
