Sen. Rand Paul may back Tennessee Walking Horse bill

[spanone]

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said on a swing through Nashville that he may co-sponsor U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s proposal to regulate Tennessee Walking Horses, adding that an alternative plan by a fellow Kentucky lawmaker is too intrusive.

The first-term Republican senator from Bowling Green, Ky., said in an interview Monday that he has ruled out backing a bill filed by U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., that would step up federal inspections of walking horses. He added that he still is studying legislation put forward by Blackburn, R-Brentwood, that would increase scientific testing of walking horses but not the frequency of manual inspections.

Blackburn’s bill, House Resolution 4098, is favored by Walking Horse trainers and has been co-sponsored by nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including the six other Republicans from Tennessee.

Blackburn said she’s spoken with Paul and a few other senators about being the primary sponsor of her bill in the Senate. Paul said he would decide whether to sign onto the bill sometime this week.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20140310/NEWS0201/303100064/Sen-Rand-Paul-may-back-Tennessee-Walking-Horse-bill

[G_j]

1. Video Reveals Torture of Horses Trained to Win Championships

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/tennessee-walking-horses-abused/story?id=16360835

May 16, 2012
WATCH video of the alleged abuse. WARNING: Graphic images.

The video led to a federal grand jury indictment of McConnell and will be seen publicly for the first time tonight on the ABC News program "Nightline."

The tape shows McConnell and his stable hands beating horses with wooden sticks and using electric cattle prods on them as part of a training protocol to make them lift their feet in the pronounced gait judges like to see.

In another scene, McConnell oversees his hands as they apply caustic chemicals to the ankles of the horses and them wrap them with plastic wrap so the chemicals eat into the skin.

"That creates intense pain and then the ankles are wrapped with large metal chains so the horses flinch, or raise their feet even higher," said Dane of the Humane Society.

McConnell is expected to enter a guilty to plea to one count, according to his lawyers.

He declined to comment, or apologize for his acts, when approached by ABC News this week outside his home.

<snip>

The industry group maintains that the vast majority of horses are not subjected to the cruel practice of "soring."

But a random inspection by the agents of the Department of Agriculture at last year's annual championship found that 52 of 52 horses tested positive for some sort of foreign substance around front hooves, either to cause pain or to hide it.

[spanone]

3. i've seen the video. cruel, criminal.

tennessee is a cesspool of republicanism.....

[Laelth]

2. Some regulation is required.

But if this isn't Federal government intrusion, I don't know what is. It's astounding that an alleged libertarian, like Paul, would support more government regulation. Guess that just goes to show how the right-wing mind works.


[font size=4 color=red]Love animals. Hate people.[/font]


-Laelth