A bad bill earns its publicity

by: Jay Stevens

Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 20:45:33 PM MST

However, House Bill 418 goes far beyond recognizing the usefulness of horse slaughter. This legislation would gut existing Montana law that protects citizens' rights to have a say in or to appeal government decisions. HB418 was written to shut out citizen concerns about a business that would be holding large, live animals, killing them, processing and disposing of animal carcasses....

Whoa! Those waivers could leave neighbors of a proposed plant with no effective means to ensure that their concerns were addressed.

A majority of Montana House members have rejected Schweitzer's amendatory veto. If the Senate also rejects it, the bill will go back to the governor's desk, forcing him choose between vetoing it all or supporting a bill that gives one type of industrial facility waivers not granted to any other. Schweitzer should opt for the veto.

I have to say, it's been interesting following this one through the legislature. It kind of slipped under the radar, got passed on the premise that it's solely about building a slaughterhouse, and now it's getting the attention it deserves.

Let's see what the Senate does with this thing now that they know Montanans are watching and understand the implications of the bill...