Ag News
Colorado Supreme Court rules against Initiative 16
Posted on Jul 07, 2021 at 0:00 AM
The Colorado Supreme Court recently unanimously ruled that “Protecting Animals from Unnecessary Suffering and Exploitation” or Initiative 16, did not meet the single subject requirement for a citizen-led ballot initiative.
Initiative 16 would have banned animal husbandry and veterinary practices and ended livestock processing. This ruling is a massive win for the state and the agriculture industry as a whole. Colorado Farm Bureau characterized Initiative 16 as one of the most radical ballot initiatives ever proposed in the state. Had it passed, it would have ended animal agriculture, rodeos, dog shows and much more within the state.
In a related development, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 28 denied a request from the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) to review a lower court’s ruling in the organization’s suit against the state of California over Proposition 12, which is scheduled to take effect January 2022. Proposition 12 would prohibit the sale in California of pork and veal from producers, including those in other states, who do not comply with California’s animal confinement standards. NAMI’s request to enjoin Proposition 12 was initially denied in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
A separate suit aiming to halt Proposition 12, argued in April by the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Pork Producers Council is under consideration by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
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