Senate approves Morton's 'downer cow' bill

March 6, 2009

Olympia…Sen. Bob Morton, R-Kettle Falls, won Senate approval on March 4 of his measure that would make it a civil infraction to knowingly transport nonambulatory cattle to feedlots and slaughter facilities.  

Senate Bill 5974 is intended to make the effort to stop “downer cows” from getting into the food chain more practical. 

SB 5974 does not replace the criminal violation for transporting or accepting a downer cow; rather, it provides a more practical enforcement tool. 

“My bill still sends the message that we won’t tolerate people dumping downer cows in livestock auction yards or feedlots,” Morton said. “My bill makes the point with a $1,000 fine and avoids a long and expensive court process,” Morton said. 

More than 90 percent of Washington’s beef goes to export markets. After the 2003 discovery that a downer cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy was brought to a slaughter facility in eastern Washington, those markets were closed. It was not until June 2006, that Japan began accepting U.S. beef again. The boycott cost the industry millions of dollars. 

Officials from the state Department of Agriculture are at livestock sites frequently to monitor animals brought in as part of the effort to ensure sick or injured cattle do not get into the food chain. The federal government also increased its efforts to protect consumers after the 2003 incident. 

SB 5974 is now in the House of Representatives for consideration. 

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Additional contact: Penny Drost (360) 786-7522 or drost.penny@leg.wa.gov