Resolution 2021 – 06

RESOLUTION NO. 2021 – 06
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF BACA STATE OF COLORADO A RESOLUTION OPPOSING 2022 BALLOT INITIATIVE 16

WHEREAS, on March 17, 2021, a citizens 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, the initiative will broadly redefine animal sexual abuse in a manner that
will criminalize many common and necessary veterinary and animal husbandry practices; and

WHEREAS, the initiative criminalizes the following veterinary and animal husbandry
practices: spaying and neutering, reproductive practices (artificial insemination, pregnancy
diagnosis, fertility testing) etc.; and

WHEREAS, the initiative will additionally require tremendous delays, in most cases years,
prior 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 the costs to livestock producers by forcing the continuation of
feeding this livestock past their prime harvest age at which will cause meat of lower quality to be sold to the consumer at much higher purchase prices; and

WHEREAS, these increases in livestock production costs will put Colorado producers at an
unfair disadvantage to surrounding states and countries that compete with Colorado producers for the same markets causing many to severely reduce or go out of business; and

WHEREAS, many Colorado farmers sell their crops to these producers but because of the
reduction or elimination of these livestock markets, many farmers will also struggle; and

WHEREAS, Initiative 16 is an industry killing effort that will have a disastrous
economic impact to farmers, ranchers, meat cutters, veterinarians, and other related industries;
and

WHEREAS, the governor’s spokeswoman Shelby Wieman said Governor Polis “agrees with
farmers and ranchers that the PAUSE ballot initiative would hurt Colorado and destroy jobs, and he opposes it”; and

WHEREAS, this Board detests the infliction of needless suffering of animals and recognizes
that our cattle and livestock producers take great effort to treat their animals humanely.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners of the County
of Baca, Colorado, as follows:
1. the Board opposes this Initiative 16 and urges the Governor of Colorado and
Commissioner of the Colorado Department of Agriculture to continue to do the
same; and
2. urges all citizens of Baca County to decline to sign any petition that supports placing
Initiative 16 (PAUSE) on the November 2022 ballot: and
3. that all people that care about the well-being of animals– be they livestock, pets,
service animals, or other – take action to defeat this measure if it does make the
November 2022 ballot.

Adopted this 13th day of May 2021.