February 9, 2023 |
In the House, a resolution to allow the slaughter and processing of wild horses passed on third reading Wednesday.
House Joint Resolution 3 has been flying under the radar since it was received for introduction on January 13. It came up for debate on Monday, the last day for consideration of bills by the Committee of the Whole. Rep. John Winter, the resolution’s sponsor, said the intent of the legislation is to get the attention of the Wyoming Congressional delegation. Winter said wild horses are a continuing problem because federal agencies aren’t managing the resource correctly.
Pictured above: Wild horses in Wyoming’s Red Desert. Photo courtesy Wyoming Bureau of Land Management.
Rep. Winter said he wants Congress make changes to the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971. One of those changes is to allow the slaughter of the wild horses which he said outcompete other species for grazing and water.
In recent years, wild horse adoptions have declined in part because fewer people are interested and because of legal actions against gatherings. So the range is overrun.
Winter’s resolution states that best management practices for wild horses would include allowing for equine slaughter and processing for shipment to accommodating markets inside and outside the United States.
Representative Bob Davis of Baggs agreed. Davis is a co-sponsor along with House Speaker Sommers.
The issue surrounding the management of wild horses, or the lack thereof, is a serious one. Wild horses serve as a symbol of the American West and its wide-open spaces to some. The bill is largely symbolic, too, even if it passes the Houses and the governor signs it. House Joint Resolution 3 passed the House on third reading Wednesday by a wide margin. The closing vote was 57 aye and five no. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.
