Colorado Supreme Court Strikes Down Initiative 16The Colorado Supreme Court unanimously decided that Initiative 16 contains multiple subjects and violates the single-subject rule of the Colorado Constitution. Justin Hood writing for the 7-0 majority said, "Although the central theme of the initiative is incorporating livestock into the animal cruelty statutes, redefining “sexual act with an animal” strays into a second subject by addressing the bodily integrity of all animals, not just livestock. Because these subjects are not necessarily and properly connected, there is the potential for the very kind of voter surprise against which the single-subject requirement seeks to guard—here, voters might not understand that what is nominally a livestock initiative also affects the care of all animals, or vice versa." The ruling effectively kills Initiative 16 as written, but proponents have the ability to file another similar initiative should they choose. While Coloradans for Animal Care is pleased with the ruling, we will remain vigilant and work to oppose similar measures that may be filed following the ruling. The coalition in opposition to the measure was strong and robust and we anticipate it only getting stronger should the proponents continue to file additional measures similar to 16.
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