Denver residents rejected Ordinance 309 to ban slaughterhouses in the city. Denver, a hub of lamb processing for the state and nation, represents 15% to 20% of U.S. lamb harvest capacity. It also provides many jobs in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
“Activists from New Orleans and California used dark money from out of state to try and shut down this local company, but they lost to Colorado workers, farmers, ranchers and restaurateurs,” Ian Silverii, campaign spokesperson for “Stop the Ban. Protect Jobs,” said in a statement. “We have one message for those who tried to cone to our city and our state to run their experiment to upend the lives of so many hardworking people: it was a baaaaaaaad idea.”
According to the Denver Post, at 11:30 pm, 64.6% opposed the slaughterhouse ban, with very little change in the split for and against throughout the evening.
Opponents of the ban declared victory Tuesday night and Pro-Animal Future, which put the question on the ballot, issued a statement appearing to concede on both measures, the article said.
“This was a bold campaign, and no one said changing the status quo was going to be easy,” Pro-Animal Future spokesperson Olivia Hammond said in a statement. “Over a hundred thousand meat eaters voted for a world without slaughterhouses, and that’s a foundation we’ll continue building on. Voters aren’t used to seeing animal rights on the ballot, and we are paving the way with this campaign.”
The measure titled “Prohibition of Slaughterhouses” tried to outlaw “the construction, maintenance, or use of” any meat processing facilities in Denver beginning Jan. 1, 2026, as well as “require the city to prioritize residents whose employment is affected by the ordinance in workforce training or employment assistance programs.”
This ban put 160 jobs at stake and according to one study, at least $215 million in economic benefits, which could be as high as $860 million, counting indirect factors. In addition, the ban also threatened more than 2,700 jobs including independent ranchers, truckers, distributors, retailers, butchers and restaurant owners and employees, according to a Colorado State University study.
“Stop the Ban, Protect Jobs” raised money from an array of donors including Superior Farms, the American Sheep Industry Association, the National Pork Producers Council, the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, Visit Denver, the Colorado Livestock Association, United Food & Commercial Workers International, Concience Bay Research, LLC, Political Action Trust, and the Colorado Livestock Association.
Voters also rejected Ordinance 308, which would ban the manufacture, distribution, display, sale or trade of certain animal products within Denver city limits, with limited exceptions, such as for Native American cultural uses or for cow leather. Had the ordinance passed it could have affected sales of cowboy and other hats made of beaver, rabbit or hare hides, as well as fly-fishing lures that include animal fibers. The Denver Post reported the ordinance reported nearly 58% of voters opposed the fur ban.
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