Resolution # 6-2021

Resolution Opposing

‘The Protect Animals from Unnecessary Suffering and Exploitation (PAUSE)” Ballot lnitiative

WHEREAS, on March 17, 2021, a citi2ens’ initiative entitled “Protect Animals from Unnecessary Suffering and Exploitation: (PAUSE) was approved by the Title Board of the Colorado Secretary of State for petition to the November 2022 General Election as Initiative 16; and

WHEREAS, Coloradans for Animal Care, a coalition of the Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Colorado Dairy Farmers, Colorado Wool Growers Association, Colorado Livestock Association, Colorado Pork Producers Council and the National Western Stock-show filed a pending petition with the Colorado Supreme Court to prevent the initiative from making it to the ballot; and

WHEREAS, if the Supreme Court allows the Ballot initiative to proceed, the proponents will need to collect approximately 124,000 signatures to place Initiative 16 on Colorado’s Ballot in November in 2022; and

WHEREAS, if approved by voters the PAUSE Act will expand the definition of animal sexual abuse to criminalize many common and necessary veterinary and animal husbandry practices; and

WHEREAS, the initiative will create disruptive delays, sometimes years, to the humane harvesting of livestock; and

WHEREAS, these delays (up to one-quarter of an animal’s statutorilY defined natural lifespan) will greatly increase costs to livestock producers by forcing the continuation of feeding livestock past their prime harvest and causing meat of lower quality to be sold to the consumer at higher purchase prices; and

WHEREAS, the means to humanely put livestock down is the same whether the livestock has lived one-quarter of their natural lifespan or any fraction thereof, thus the age at which this occurs should not be subject to criminal offense; and

WHEREAS, these increases in livestock production costs will put Colorado producers at a disadvantage to surrounding states and countries that compete for the same markets causing potential Colorado business harm and/or closures; and

WHEREAS, according to the Colorado Farm Bureau the initiative as written will severely impact Colorado’s $5 billion livestock industry, $1 billion beef export market, thousands of beef and lamb processing jobs and end all rodeos, county fairs and horse shows; and

WHEREAS, Montezuma County embraces our agricultural heritage and supports our livestock producers, especially the next generation of agricultural producers who participate in our 4H Program, which would be severely disrupted by these changes; and

WHEREAS, Montezuma County recognizes our dependence on those who produce our food and are confident that our producers take great effort to treat their animals humanely; and

WHEREAS, Governor Polis stands in solidarity with Colorado farmers and ranchers in opposition to the PAUSE ballot initiative “because it would hurt colorado and destroy Colorado jobs”.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of County Commissioners of Montezuma County, Colorado oppose any version of Initiative 16 that may be placed on the Colorado ballot.

DONE AND APPROVED by the Board of Commissioners of Montezuma County, Colorado, at a duly noticed public meeting held in Cortez, Colorado, on May 26, 2021

Dated this 1st day of June, 2021