Rep. Pat Marsh recently introduced a bill in the Tennessee House of Representatives, HB2366 that would protect the exhibition of livestock in Tennessee.  Senator Shane Reeves introduced the same legislation in the Senate, SB2378.

The legislation would prohibit local governing bodies from adopting or continuing in effect any ordinance regarding banning the exhibition of livestock. The legislation would declare any such ordinance presently or later enacted to be void and of no legal effect. Under the bill the Department of Agriculture would still be responsible for regulating the health and welfare of livestock.

Just last year, the Metro Council tried to adopt a city ordinance that would ban the exhibition or showing of Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses and Spotted Saddle Horses in Davidson County. The ordinance did not pass, but only after industry representatives helped educate the Council members on the damaging effects of the proposed ordinance and that it was in contrast to federal laws. The Humane Society of the United States and its Tennessee affiliate were major lobbyists behind the Metro ordinance and will surely be opposed to the legislation proposed by Marsh and Reeves.

More updates will be available on the progress of the bills in the coming weeks as they move through the legislative process.