Governor Signs Horse Slaughter Ban

Springfield - Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed legislation Thursday that would ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. The new law directly affects the operation of the Cavel International plant in DeKalb, the last remaining horse slaughterhouse in the United States, which ships horsemeat to Europe and Asia for human consumption. Jim Tucker, plant manager for the Belgium-based company, had no comment Thursday. Blagojevich’s approval wasn’t a surprise. He announced his support for the plan after an hour-long meeting in April with actress Bo Derek, who visited Springfield twice in recent years to lobby in favor of the ban. “It’s past time to stop slaughtering horses in Illinois and sending their meat overseas,” Blagojevich said in a pre