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For Immediate Release

COURT DECLARES HORSE SLAUGHTER TO BE ILLEGAL

Washington, D.C. (March 28, 2007) - In a 51-page opinion issued just
hours ago, United States District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly
held that the slaughter of horses in America violates federal law. In
her opinion, issued in response to a lawsuit filed in February 2006 by
the Society for Animal Protective Legislation (SAPL) and other humane
organizations and individuals, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ruled that the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) violated the National Environmental
Policy Act by failing to conduct an environmental impact review of its
decision to allow the continuation of horse slaughter.

“Tonight, after years of legislation and litigation, America’s three
horse slaughterhouses can no longer kill horses for human consumption,”
states Chris Heyde, deputy legislative director for the Society for
Animal Protective Legislation. “We call on Illinois-based Cavel
International to work with the humane and rescue communities to find
permanent safe homes for the hundreds of horses who were slated for
slaughter, to give them a second chance at life.”

The rule that was vacated by the court, was promulgated by the USDA’s
Food Safety and Inspection Service to create a fee-for-service
inspection process for horses slaughtered for human consumption. The
rule circumvented a Congressionally approved amendment to the FY 2006
Agricultural Appropriations Act that cut federal funding for the
required inspections. Because of continuing resolutions approved by
Congress to fund the government, today’s ruling is effective
immediately.

There are three horse slaughterhouses in America, one in Illinois and
two in Texas. Though the Texas plants were recently forced to stop
slaughtering horses for human consumption when an appellate court upheld
a Texas law making it illegal to sell, possess and transport horsemeat
for sale for human consumption, the Illinois plant has been killing
approximately 1,000 horses per week.

“The American public has overwhelmingly opposed the slaughter of
America’s horses for human consumption and now the courts have declared
horse slaughter to be illegal,” adds Heyde. “While horses will no
longer be butchered in the U.S. they can be hauled under appalling
conditions to an even more brutal death in plants across the U.S.
border. Congress must pass federal legislation to extend the
protections to all horses and to send a clear message to those few who
profit from this barbaric trade.”

Currently pending in Congress are H.R. 503 and its Senate companion
measure, S. 311, which would ban the slaughter of horses for human
consumption and prohibit the transport of horses outside of the United
States for slaughter.
I’ll will keep you guys posted as soon as anything else comes up!! Way to go!

Dan Patrick, R-Dallas is introducing a bill that would pay women 500 dollars to put their child up for adoption instead of having an abortion.He claims the funding from this program would be taken out of the money allotted for Planned Parenthood.

For that small, but oh so sweet taste of revenge! Yep, Rick Perry isn’t getting his way!! As of yesterday afternoon the house approved the vote of a strong 119-21 yes for a bill by Rep. Dennis Bonnen,R-Angelton, that says the HPV vaccine can’t be required as a condition for school entry. Now the bill heads it’s way to the Senate ,where it has strong support as well. The bill could still be vetoed but, if the chambers send it to the Governor’s desk by mid-May there’s plenty of time and support for the Legislature to override it once and for all. Savor the moment!

TEXAS STATE EMPLOYEES UNION

Sources: announcement set for Tuesday, March 13

TSEU has received the word from several sources that Accenture and HHSC will jointly announce on March 13 that the contract will be “unraveled”, with each party “going its way.”

The word is that Accenture is feeling pressure to do the job right including making the TIERS system work and is balking at the cost.

Human Services might still not be on track .

According to the sources, HHSC might put forward a plan to re-bid the contract rather than concentrate on rebuilding the system we had, which actually worked until they started dismantling it.

While this development goes a long way toward ending a wasteful and damaging boondoggle, it does not by itself result in a restoration of quality human services eligibilit. TSEU will continue to call for implementation of our plan, which includes:

1. Terminate the Accenture contract.

2. Rebuild a functioning human services eligibility system.

A. Hire more staff: It would require less than 1000 additional positions to rebuild the staff to the 2004 levels. Add these staff and re-evaluate staffing levels in 2009.

B. Rebuild a qualified staff:

1.) Create a program to bring skilled, tenured staff who have left back into the agency.

2.) Reverse the damage caused by the Job Search and Placement ( JSAP) program by following all HHSC employees who accepted transfers under JSAP to return to their original positions.

3.) Rebuild the training program for eligibility staff.

4.) Cancel the Convergys contract and rebuild effective human resources/personnel

services to support management and front-line staff.

C. Consider creative ways to enhance services. Ask front-line eligibility staff for ideas.

3. Integrate CHIP eligibility with children’s Medicaid Eligibility in the state-operated intake system.
HHSC already operates state-employee-staffed call centers in El Paso, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, and Dallas that do intake for Children’s Medicaid. The CHIP and Children’s Medicaid programs are closely related: integrating eligibility would provide a seamless, “one-stop” system in which a single qualified worker would directly enroll the applicant in whichever program they are eligible for. This step would reduce costs and increase accuracy and timeliness in providing these crucial services to Texas children.

4. Deploy a cost-effective, functional data system for human services eligibility.

A. Have a task force that is outside the HHSC structure and answerable to the Legislature re-evaluate both the TIERS system and the SAVERR system to determine the systems’ present and potential functionality.

B. Move decisively on the findings of the study to either complete the development of TIERS or cancel the project; to implement an upgrade of SAVERR , or to pursue a new approach.

C. Suspend all input or conversion of cases into TIERS until the future of the system has been decided and, if it is decided to keep TIERS, until the system is fully functional.

D. Seek and accept the input of front-line human services staff as part of all decision-making and developmental steps to deploy a functional system.

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TXU corp. has announced Friday that they will build 2 plants using cleaner coal technology combined with carbon capture if their buyout is approved. IGCC is a process of pressurizing coal to turn it into a gas which amounts to 33% less nitrogen oxide,75% less sulfur dioxide and 40% less particulate matter than your typical coal plants. Don’t go popping the corks just yet. They still have 3 plants in their plan using conventional coal technology. The 2 Oak Grove plants alone will put out as much smog causing pollution as 350,000 cars and more mercury than all eight of TXU’s suspended new coal plants combined. Texas air quality depends on YOU. Make sure to nag everyone possible in your most sincere manner to help in the fight. Just because they are putting out some good publicity right now doesn’t exactly mean everything is smooth sailing.

Just wanting to give all of you fantastic supporters who have helped in our fight a little update as to the whereabouts of our bill. As of March 6th the entire US Court Of Appeals in the Fifth Circuit has rejected the two Texas based slaughterhouses’ petition to review it’s earlier decision. This means that they have no further options than to take their case to the US Supreme Court. They have only 90 days from the March 6th date to file a petition for a writ of certiorari. As long as the case is pending the 2 plants are allowed to remain open. Now, within days from the decision made by the US Court of Appeals’ is a Texas Lawmaker who has introduced a new bill to repeal the 1949 state law banning the sale and possession of
horse meat for human consumption. Titled H.B. 2476 by Rep.Sid Miller (R-59th). This folks is them grasping at straws here. Let’s make sure to urge all Texas legislatures to reject this final plea of theirs once and for all..I can not wait until I can post the horse plants closings! C’mon and keep on keepin’ on!

The Waxahachie newspaper on-line edition is running a poll asking readers who, in retrospect they would vote for, if the election for governor of Texas were held today. This will obviously be s short lived poll, but it would be great if we could all visit the link and vote Kinky one more time. I’d enjoy sending an “in your face” to the Perry administration!

Here’s the link:

http://www.waxahachiedailylight.com/articles/2007/03/07/dailylight/news/03-03-07-ttc.txt

The Waxahachie newspaper on-line edition is running a poll asking readers who, in retrospect they would vote for, if the election for governor of Texas were held today. This will obviously be s short lived poll, but it would be great if we could all visit the link and vote Kinky one more time. I’d enjoy sending an “in your face” to the Perry administration!

Here’s the link:

http://www.waxahachiedailylight.com/articles/2007/03/07/dailylight/news/03-03-07-ttc.txt