Horse Slaughter Bill Fails for This Year

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A horse slaughter bill that was criticized by Willie Nelson has failed this session of the Tennessee General Assembly.

The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Frank Niceley of Strawberry Plains was unanimously sent to a summer study committee by the House Finance Committee on Tuesday. The companion bill has been withdrawn from consideration in the Senate.

Niceley's proposal said the slaughtering of horses is "best addressed by proper state regulations and inspection and not by banning the humane slaughter of surplus domestic horses at the federal level."

Nelson, who is promoting a bill in Congress called the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act, is a vocal opponent of the practice. He criticized Niceley's bill in an opinion piece that ran in The Tennessean.

Exactly how many times has this failed now? It seems like I've been watching similar bills for years now.