House Bill 418 has indeed been a hot-button issue in this Legislature.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ed Butcher, R-Winifred, would enable and encourage horse-slaughter plants to be built in Montana. HB418 also would give special protection to these plants, saying a state court may not delay construction of a horse-slaughter plant once the plant is licensed by the state. The bill also requires anyone challenging a plant's permit to post a bond worth 20 percent of the construction costs.

Already this session testimony on the bill has been acrimonious.

Supporters have lobbied the need to properly dispose of some 150,000 horses annually across the nation that are now being shipped across U.S. borders because there are no such facilities in the U.S.

Opponents have decried the horrific nature of slaughterhouses as well as how the bill shields developers from environmental and legal challenges.

HB418 has already passed the House and the Senate, and is currently awaiting Gov. Brian Schweitzer's signature to enact the bill into law.

There is clearly a need for some sort of horse-processing facility in America, possibly in Montana, if for no other reason than for the humane treatment of horses that are suffering at the end of their lives and are no longer useful. Ranchers and equestrians, like Butcher, mostly agree.

Without such a plant, many unwanted horses are deposited into the wild and are left to starve and die -- hardly a humane ending.

Proponents say a processing facility is a needed business that will bring jobs to Montana, and that it maintains a steady, balanced market for horses through the end of their lives.

Horses have gained elevated status among humans for their devotion, usefulness and irrevocable place in American history.

Yet there is a problem here and across the country of there being nowhere to properly dispose of unwanted ones.

That's not to say every horse owner is irresponsible. The fact is, all horses die, and not every owner can afford to euthanize the animal and give it a proper burial. It's a costly process, and you can't just euthanize a horse and leave it in a field to rot.

However, Butcher's bill is far off base, and raises significant questions.

Since when can a legislative act limit the legal authority of a court?

Or, for that matter, how can the Legislature limit a citizen's right to challenge a government action by any legal means possible?

This bill would set a poor precedent for an industry that has already shown disregard for environmental regulations elsewhere.

Gov. Schweitzer should veto HB418, and demand a revised measure that addresses the need but does not trample on the rights of others, not to mention the authority of judges -- all of whom were elected just like legislators.