TRENTON – The Senate Economic Growth Committee released a bill today that would ban someone from slaughtering a horse for human consumption.
An Assembly version, A2023, introduced by Ronald Dancer, (R-12), Cream Ridge, and Gilbert Wilson, (D-5), Camden, passed the lower chamber 72-3 last month.
Violations would be a disorderly persons offense, subject to a minimum penalty of $100 and imprisonment of not less than 30 days.
Violators would be liable to pay a civil fine of between $500 and $1,000 for each horse slaughtered, and for each horse carcass or meat product sold.
It had been amended in Assembly committee to provide an exemption for newspaper ads that otherwise might fall within this bill’s guidelines. Also, it added transporting a horse for slaughter as a disorderly person’s offense.
The committee today released the Senate version, S1976, which tightened the newspaper ad exemption regarding knowingly publishing ads in violation.
The American Humane Society said there is a strong overseas market for horseflesh consumption. The society also said that there are no similar laws currently banning such consumption in any other states.
The bill passed 3-0. The committee’s three Democrats – Sens. Ray Lesniak, Dick Codey, and Joseph Vitale – were in attendance. The two GOP members, Sens. Steve Oroho and Joseph Kyrillos, were absent.
Pig confinement
S1921: This bill, which passed 3-0, would make cruel confinement of a gestating pig a disorderly person’s offense. The bill defines cruel confinement as crating, confining, or tethering a gestating sow kept on the farm in a manner that prevents the gestating sow from being able to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, or fully extend its limbs.
A violator would be fined for each offense from $250 to $1,000, or be imprisoned for a term of not more than six months, or both, and that each gestating sow that is cruelly confined would be a separate offense.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ray Lesniak, (D-20), Union, would provide exemptions for, among other purposes, medical research, veterinary examinations, transportation, or educational programs.
Cable TV fees
S1500: This bill, passed 3-0, would free cable TV companies from paying one-half of one percent of their yearly gross revenues received from all subscribers into a state fund designed to make money available to reduce cable TV service for senior citizens and disabled residents.
The problem, according to sponsors Sens. Shirley Turner, (D-15), Trenton, and Loretta Weinberg, (D-37), Teaneck, is that funds have been diverted into the general fund and are not being used for their statutorily mandated purpose.
They said that approximately $9 million has been paid into the CATV Fund since the 2006 act went into effect.
